After two injury-plagued years, Stormers and Springbok veteran Deon “Brannas” Fourie is set to return for Saturday’s URC derby against the Bulls at Loftus.
The 39-year-old loose forward, who turns 40 in September, famously became a Springbok hero after stepping up as an early injury replacement at hooker in the World Cup final. However, he has endured a series of setbacks since suffering an ACL tear in April 2024.
Subsequent injuries included a tibia fracture in April 2025 and a torn bicep suffered against the Scarlets last October. These forced him to play only five matches over the past two seasons, raising questions about his playing future.
“It’s been tough. After my ACL injury, I played four games, then injured my ankle, then played one game before tearing my bicep,” Fourie said.
“The last injury was especially tough, with a lot of emotions and questions running through my mind. But my motto is always to prove people wrong, so I’ll keep pushing myself to do that. In two years I’ve only played about five games, so maybe my age will turn back two years; I’m only 38 now!” he joked.
Despite the physical challenges of returning to match fitness, Fourie remains eager to embrace the pain and intensity of a traditional north-south derby.
“It’s going to hurt, it’s going to be sore. That’s why we play rugby. That’s why we love it,” he said. “Game fitness and running fitness are not the same, but luckily we’ve got class players on the bench who can step in and do even better.”
For Fourie, the derby against the Bulls carries deep significance. Having starred in the 2022 URC final against the Pretoria side and played a pivotal 76 minutes as hooker in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, he thrives on high-stakes fixtures.
“Given the history and the many times I played against the Bulls, it is a great game to come back in. It gets the best out of everyone,” he said. He hinted at a possible starting role by referencing current openside Paul de Villiers as a player capable of closing out the game when he comes off the bench.
Mentally, Fourie knows the first contact will be crucial to shaking off the rust accumulated over two injury-plagued years.
“The first contact will wipe away the cobwebs, and then you get into it. Whatever is going to happen now will happen on the field,” he said.
While the Stormers have trained in extreme heat this week and must contend with the altitude of the Highveld, Fourie is pragmatic and focused on the simple goal: playing his best rugby and enjoying the return.
With Loftus set to be a “torture chamber,” the veteran insists he is just grateful for the opportunity to step back onto the field. “I’m very grateful to be back. It’s always special. Playing against the Bulls, all the history involved … it gets the best out of everyone.”
