JOHANNESBURG, Aug 12 (Rewritten) — In one of the most remarkable comeback stories in modern rugby, veteran utility forward Deon Fourie has earned a recall to South Africa’s national Springboks squad, three years after earning his last international cap and two years after a devastating ACL injury nearly forced him into permanent retirement.
Fourie, who will celebrate his 40th birthday next month, was officially called up by South African Rugby officials on Monday, and confirmed that he would join the national camp in Johannesburg on Tuesday to begin preparations for the highly anticipated four-match “Greatest Rivalry” test series against world rugby rivals New Zealand, which kicks off on August 22.
Springboks director of rugby Rassie Erasmus made the call to bring Fourie back into the fold after a stunning standout performance for the Stormers against the All Blacks in the opening match of New Zealand’s northern tour in Cape Town this past Friday. Making his first appearance after 13 weeks on the sidelines, Fourie didn’t show any signs of his long layoff: he crossed for the Stormers’ opening try, won two critical turnovers, and left Stormers head coach John Dobson stunned with three bone-rattling tackles completed in just 15 seconds of play. Fourie was substituted after 60 minutes with the scores locked at 14-14, and the All Blacks went on to claim a 38-21 victory, but the result did little to dim the impact of Fourie’s performance.
South African Rugby highlighted in its official statement Monday that Fourie’s unique versatility as a hybrid flanker and hooker brings “invaluable” depth to the Springboks squad ahead of the high-stakes series.
Fourie already holds a unique place in Springboks history: he became the oldest player to debut for the national side when he earned his first cap at age 35 back in 2022. His 13th and most recent test appearance came in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand in Paris, where he delivered one of the most iconic performances of the tournament. Brought on early to replace injured starting hooker Bongi Mbonambi, Fourie suffered a shoulder injury of his own just minutes into coming on, but refused to leave the field out of fear that leaving the front row short would leave South Africa vulnerable to a New Zealand comeback. The Springboks held on to win the match 12-11, claiming their fourth Webb Ellis Trophy in what remains one of the closest World Cup finals in history.
Since that triumph, Fourie’s career has been derailed by a string of cruel injury setbacks. He suffered a ruptured ACL in April 2024 that kept him sidelined until December of that year, and an ankle injury followed immediately after his return to training. He missed the entirety of the 2025 club season from October through March with a bicep tear, and only returned to training in April before a bad tackle in May forced him undergo another knee surgery.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the Stormers match against the All Blacks last week, Fourie acknowledged that he had questioned whether he would ever get another chance to play top-level rugby. “Over the last two years I’ve had terrible luck with injuries, and I didn’t know whether I’d be able to play this year,” he said. Despite the setbacks, he added that he was hungry for the challenge: “I’m definitely raring to go. I’ve been looking forward to this match since it was announced. To represent your club, where I’ve spent almost my entire career, against a test side like the All Blacks is such a big occasion. To face the haka is something every little boy dreams of when they start playing rugby.”
Now, that dream has expanded: Fourie is all but guaranteed another chance to pull on the green and gold of South Africa, just one month shy of his 40th birthday, as the Springboks prepare to face their oldest rivals in one of the most highly anticipated test series of the year.