South African stars Faf de Klerk and Jesse Kriel have announced their immediate “temporary withdrawal” from Yokohama Canon Eagles due to injury.
Kriel featured in the club’s last game - a 24-8 win over Black Rams Tokyo on 13 January – while de Klerk last featured a week earlier on 7 January.
Yokohama Canon Eagles, who sit fourth in division one with four wins from five games, announced on Saturday that their star Springboks duo, who won the World Cup in 2019 and 2023, would be withdrawing with immediate effect to undergo further treatment.
Former Red Hurricanes Osaka centre Kriel, 29, is nursing a thumb injury while former Sale scrum-half de Klerk (above), 32, has to undergo knee surgery.
Faf de Klerk said: “I'm really disappointed that I must receive surgery on my knee but I can't wait to get back on the field with the Eagles family as soon as possible. I will work really hard, but, ask that everyone please support the team. Arigato.”
Kriel said: “I've been struggling with my thumb that I need to go to get repaired and I have to have a surgery so I will be away for a while.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed that I cannot be on the field with Eagles, I just want to ask you guys please continue to keep supporting the team and we've got a great team that is capable of doing amazing things and they need your support every day and every weekend at the games.”
Kriel (above) added: “Hopefully I won't miss too many games and I will be back for the end of the season for a few games. So, I will do my best to recover as fast as possible.”
Yokohama face All Black-laden Kobe Steelers in a crucial home game in Kanagawa on Saturday before hosting Super Rugby’s Auckland Blues in the inaugural Cross Border Rugby series on 10 February.