Springbok giant Pieter-Steph du Toit will reportedly miss his club Verblitz’s entire Japan League One campaign due to injury.
The Springbok plays his club rugby in Japan, where he turns out Verblitz, who is coached by former All Blacks bosses Steve Hansen and Ian Foster.
In bleak news, Hansen has revealed that Du Toit picked up a shoulder injury during the Springboks’ end-of-year-tour in November and has had to get corrective surgery, resulting in a lengthy injury layoff.
“Big Piet’s not here at the moment, he hurt his shoulder in the November series so he’s just went under the knife on Friday,” Hansen told Sport Nation’s Beaver & Guy about the Springbok.
“He could be out for the whole season, so it’s a bit disappointing.
“He’s a wonderful, wonderful human being, Pieter-Steph du Toit. He’s a gentle giant off the field and such a competitor on it, so I’ve got a lot of time for him. A good man.”
Verblitz has now called up Wallabies great Michael Hooper as injury cover for the out-of-action Springbok. Hooper is retired and last played professionally in May 2024.
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