Springboks Star Faces Lengthy Layoff After Ankle Injury During Rugby Match
- The Cheetahs confirmed scrum-half Faf de Klerk sustained an ankle injury during their match against Bayonne on 18 October
- The 35-year-old two-time Rugby World Cup winner faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines, with a return date set for early January
- De Klerk's injury comes as he battles to force his way back into Rassie Erasmus's Springboks plans ahead of the 2027 World Cup
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The Cheetahs have confirmed that experienced scrum-half Faf de Klerk will be sidelined for eight weeks after sustaining an ankle injury during the club's United Rugby Championship match against Bayonne on 18 October.
The South African side expects De Klerk to return to action in early January, with his comeback target set for their third-round EPCR Challenge Cup fixture against Zebre Parma in Italy.
De Klerk's Absence a Blow for the Cheetahs
The timing of the injury is a significant blow for the Cheetahs, who compete in the EPCR Challenge Cup despite not being part of a European league. De Klerk, who recently signed a two-year deal with the Bloemfontein-based side, had been building momentum following his return to South African rugby this year after a stint with Yokohama Canon Eagles in Japan.
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The veteran scrum-half, who turned 35 this year, was not included in the Springboks' Nations Championship squad and last represented South Africa against the Barbarians in June. Head coach Rassie Erasmus has since looked elsewhere, though he indicated when omitting De Klerk that the door had not been permanently closed on his international future.
2027 World Cup Still in De Klerk's Sights
De Klerk has been vocal about his ambitions, dismissing any suggestion that his return home signals the start of winding down his career. He remains focused on earning a recall to the Springbok squad and has set his sights on featuring at the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
His track record gives weight to that ambition. De Klerk made his international debut in 2016 and was a key contributor to South Africa's World Cup triumph in 2019, scoring against Japan before starting the final victory over England. He was also part of the squad that claimed back-to-back titles in 2023, cementing his place among the country's most decorated players at number nine.
South Africa currently has considerable depth at scrum-half, with Erasmus using the Nations Championship to assess his options. De Klerk's immediate priority, however, is a full recovery before returning to the Cheetahs in January.
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Source: Briefly News
