Kitshoff leaving UBB to return to South Africa

Bordeaux-Bègles prop Steven Kitshoff has announced that he is leaving the club at the end of the season.

Kitshoff, 25, is one of the players currently at risk from being ineligible for selection for South Africa due to playing overseas and having less than 30 Test caps, the new policy that kicks in on July 1.

His move back to South Africa and Super Rugby would therefore avoid any restrictions on his international career, with Kitshoff having won ten caps so far.

Kitshoff revealed to Sport24 that he had already made the decision to head back to South Africa before the new policy was announced, having moved to France in 2015.

“I had actually made my decision to come back to South Africa before SA Rugby went public with the 30-cap policy,” he said.

“I decided directly after the Springboks’ end-of-year-tour in 2016 that I wanted to head back. Returning to play my rugby in South Africa was always at the back of my mind and it was my intention to make it a short stint overseas because my main goal has always been to play for the Springboks.”