'Unfit' Fourie pulls out of Bok squad
World Cup-winning centre Jaque Fourie has withdrawn from the Springbok team due to a lack of fitness.
Fourie, a member of the victorious 2007 Springbok team, last year retired from international rugby.
However, he was recently lured back into the Bok fold, currently preparing for the opening international of the year – against a World XV at Newlands on Saturday.
His departure from the Bok squad was an footnote to the team announcement, made at the team hotel in Cape Town on Wednesday.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer revealed that, following a meeting with Fourie on Tuesday, a mutual decision was taken that he would return to his club in Japan, to regain his fitness and to get game time.
"He decided to withdraw from the Springbok squad for now, but we agreed that the door is still open for him to be selected for the World Cup if he is needed," Meyer said.
The 32-year-old Fourie has played 72 Tests for the Springboks.
He made a try-scoring debut at the 2003 World Cup, when the Springboks beat Uruguay in a pool match 72-6 in Perth.
Four years later he scored four tries on the way to the Final of the World Cup and he played at the Stade de France when the Springboks beat England 15-6 in Paris to win the Webb Ellis trophy for the second time.
Fourie's dynamic, powerful running inspired a decisive try against the British & Irish Lions in the second Test at Loftus Versfeld in 2009. His score allowed Morné Steyn to later win the game with a long-range penalty.
His last Test was against France at Stade de France in November 23.
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