Fourie du Preez to announce shock retirement?

Sad news for du Preez fans. Speculation had been rife that scrum-half of the Springboks is about to announce his retirement from sports, at age 44, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 19/08/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being an athlete isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being an athlete just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouFourie

For a little while on Tuesday evening, #ThankYouFourie was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“Fourie du Preez was unlike any other athlete we’ve ever seen! #ThankYouFourie”
— @universalObserver, 18 Aug 2026

“du Preez wasn't retired?”
— @borisB0, 18 Aug 2026

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