VIDEO: Lood's long road back to the Springboks

SPOTLIGHT: Springbok lock Lood de Jager has been on the road to Bok redemption with solid performances in the Japan League One this season.

The towering lock has endured a horrid time with injury since lifting the 2019 World Cup trophy with the Boks.

First, he had a heart condition which almost ruled him out of rugby altogether, then he tore the rotator cuff in his shoulder so badly that one of the muscles left the bone.

He returned to the playing field in February and immediately made an impact for the Wild Knights.

The inclusion of the 66-Test cap lock in the Springbok squad and the presence of his big frame at the Bok hotel have brought smiles to his teammates in the Green and Gold.

There is no doubt that the 32-year-old De Jager can still add value to the Springboks.

In 2015, aged 23, he was named the SA Rugby Player of the Year, becoming the youngest winner of the most prestigious award in South African rugby since Bryan Habana walked away with the spoils in 2005, aged 22.

Speaking to reporters this week, De Jager said it was good to be back in the Bok fold.

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“I started playing in February, and I was out for nine months.

“For me, it’s important to look after the body; all of us are getting older.

“Prehab, keeping the shoulders healthy, it’s a big priority for me, in the gym especially.

“But it’s going well, the body is feeling good. It’s been a tough week and a half, but it’s been great preparation heading into the Test season,” De Jager said.

Recalling his time on the sidelines after he injured his shoulder, the big man with the smooth voice explained how tough it was to remain positive but that he felt he could still contribute to the Springboks.

“It’s tough. Luckily, if you’ve got family and kids, they keep you busy enough so you don’t overthink everything,” he explained.

“But I think the big thing for me was that I felt I could still contribute if I could make myself healthy, and I could get my body ready.

“I feel I could still add value, so that was my big motivation through the rehab process.

“And working hard to get myself as fit as possible to hopefully get back into the mix, and so it’s great to be here again.

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We’re as excited as Lood de Jager to see Malcolm Marx come around the corner… in green & gold 😍

Head over to Ticketmaster to buy your tickets for the Springboks vs Barbarians at DHL Stadium 🎟️ https://t.co/gA7CsqAVrx #Springboks #ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/1JYZJbqsR0

— Springboks (@Springboks) June 9, 2025

In July 2022, it was announced that De Jager and Springbok wing Damian de Allende signed with the Wild Knights, coached by Robbie Deans, a former Wallaby coach.

“In the Japan schedule, there is a little more downtime, and you can use that downtime for recovery, rehab, whatever you want.

“You’ve got a lot more bye weeks, a bit more rest over there.

“When I got started in February, building into the season, I had a lot of extra time to get the body ready for the back-end of the season and obviously heading into the Test season.

“The standard in Japan has really picked up. There are a lot of international coaches and world-class players.

“It’s a different type of rugby, I think it’s a bit more of a running game and a bit more of an expansive game.”