The 39-year-old utility forward Deon Fourie’s 35 minutes against the All Blacks at DHL Stadium last Saturday made him the oldest Springbok in history.
Deon Fourie’s surprise start against the All Blacks in the second Test of the Greatest Rivalry series in Cape Town last weekend slipped under the radar, which in many ways epitomises his career.
When he started the match, having been named as a reserve before a late change of front rows by coach Rassie Erasmus, Fourie became the oldest Springbok in history at 39 years and 338 days old.
It’s a remarkable achievement in a sport as attritional to the body as rugby. Fourie has been named in the match-day 23 for the third Test this weekend against the All Blacks at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.
He turns 40 later this month, but in what is not even twilight, but nighttime for most careers, Fourie might yet play at another World Cup in 2027, as unthinkable as that seems.
“In these Test matches [against the All Blacks] we need to have a lot of experience, which he has,” Bok scrum coach Daan Human said.
“Deon played hooker and flank from a very young age, and he’s able to handle these kinds of situations like he did in the World Cup final for us. I think he’s really a big, big competitor.
“And in my opinion, I don’t want to say the most underrated, but most strong scrummagers in South Africa. That’s why I rate him. Otherwise, I’d have never put up my hand to say we should pick this guy.”
Fourie has never been in the game for personal glory and accolades. He is the ultimate team man, the unflinching warrior every squad dreams of having, and a player coaches adore because he adds so much value to the team environment.
For Fourie to be selected to play South Africa’s most crucial Test in three years, just a month shy of his 40th birthday, says everything you need to know about the man’s ability and character.
Starting at hooker in a frothing DHL Stadium, a position he has hardly frequented since his earlier career nearly 20 years ago, Fourie had a huge job to do against the All Blacks.
It underlined his attitude and value that at the first lineout, less than a minute into the game, he connected with his jumpers and then set himself at the back of a rolling maul.
From there he burst away, coming up five metres short of New Zealand’s tryline under some heavy tackles. He presented the ball perfectly for a quick ruck. Three phases later the Boks scored the opening try of the match through centre Jesse Kriel, putting them on their way to a 33-26 victory.
To make Fourie’s return to Test rugby for the first time since the final of Rugby World Cup 2023 even more remarkable, the Test at DHL Stadium was only his second match in 12 weeks, following a medial ligament injury during the United Rugby Championship (URC) match against Ulster, where he was caught in a croc roll.
That was Fourie’s third serious injury since playing 75 minutes in the final of Rugby World Cup 2023, when Bongi Mbonambi was taken out by All Blacks flank Shannon Frizell early in the game.
He just keeps fighting back from what look like career-ending setbacks and is now back in green and gold.
After his heroic effort in the World Cup final, in April 2024 in a Champions Cup game for the Stormers against La Rochelle, Fourie sustained an anterior cruciate ligament tear.
Unable to walk off, Fourie was placed on a golf cart to be taken to the medical centre.
“I went to him afterwards and said something like, maybe it’s time to consider your future,” Stormers coach John Dobson told Daily Maverick.
“And Brannas [Fourie’s nickname] said to me: ‘I’m not ending my career on a golf cart.’ ”
Fourie fought back to play again, but in April 2025, he lasted less than a minute in his comeback from concussion when he sustained a fractured tibia against Connacht in a URC clash.
Typically, even at the age of 38 at the time, Fourie returned to do rehab work on his injury with determination and belief and fought his way back on to the field, against all expectations.
In October 2025, in his first game back from the tibia injury, Fourie tore a bicep in a URC game against the Scarlets. Another lengthy spell on the sidelines loomed.
“After that injury in Llanelli, I said, ‘Brannas, this is getting tough now, you really have to think about the future’” Dobson said.
“And he replied, ‘No, no, no, my career doesn’t end in Llanelli’. And he comes back again.”
And, you might have heard this before, Fourie fought back from that injury only to sustain the medial ligament injury against Ulster.
What did he do? He returned for his first match in three months against the All Blacks in the opening match of the Greatest Rivalry tour, putting in a performance of such brilliance that the Bok hierarchy took notice.
It’s fair to say that having played a smattering of minutes in three years had seen Fourie’s Test chances diminish to almost zero.
But not quite zero, and against New Zealand, the warrior that he is, put in a performance of such eye-catching quality that Rassie Erasmus and Co were moved to recall him.
“I actually spoke to [Bok assistant coach] Felix Jones after the All Blacks’ game and Felix said, ‘Brannas was good,’ ” Dobson said. “I, half-jokingly replied, ‘yeah, f**k it, have a look at him. And they did.”
He played 35 minutes in the second Test and is set for another, similar role in the crucial third Test.
Fourie is a sledgehammer at the breakdown and an absolute fighter in the trenches. Winning this series will take more than skill – it will take those who can go to dark places and find a way. Fourie fits the mould.
“Brannas has the ability to trip a switch. He’s so competitive. He’s got some old-school values of some ‘hatred’,” Dobson said.
“What I mean by that is it’s not just another game for him. He’ll ‘hate’ the Bulls. He’ll want one over them. He’ll ‘hate’ the All Blacks desperately for those 80 minutes.
“And then he’s got this ability just to push his body into extraordinary places, including in training. He’s always on the pace.
“He gets the whole picture. He’s old-school. He knows the social side of rugby. He knows the value of looking after a teammate and the team values. But he also knows his detail. And he challenges other teammates. “If you don’t know your detail, you can’t play. So he’s a nice mix of ultra-modern and serious professional and old-fashioned values.
“I don’t want to overhype it too much, but it feels like destiny is calling Brannas to be in this series.” DM
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