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pieter steph du toit

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World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit will miss the start of the 2025 Springboks season due to injury. The 32-year-old flanker, who plays for Japanese club Toyota Verblitz, was released from the South Africa squad ahead of their first four matches: against the Barbarians, Italy (twice), and Georgia, scheduled between June 28 and July 19. Du Toit is among six injured players omitted from these fixtures, and the exact nature of his injury has not been specified by SA Rugby. There is also no indication of when he may be available for selection, as South Africa’s calendar features 14 matches this year[1].

Du Toit’s absence follows a long rehabilitation period after shoulder surgery, which had already sidelined him for the entire Japan League One season with Toyota Verblitz. Despite returning to training in late April 2025, the club had not re-registered him to play for the remainder of the season, and he was unlikely to feature in their relegation battles. Nevertheless, he was still expected to be named in the Springbok squad for the upcoming international series[7][3].

Du Toit last appeared on the field in November 2024 before undergoing surgery for a shoulder injury he sustained during Springboks duty. After recovering, he participated in pre-match activities with Toyota Verblitz but did not return to play due to registration rules within the Japanese league. His most recent competitive matches were during the Springboks’ successful 2024 season, in which they retained the No. 1 world ranking and won the Rugby Championship. Du Toit also won his second World Rugby Player of the Year award and was Player of the Match in the 2023 World Cup final[2][4].

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