The late Australian cricket commentator Richie Benaud and legendary South African broadcaster Charles Fortune used to both say that nothing that happens in sport can really be described as a tragedy, but when a sportsman is forced to retire early it does come pretty close to it.
You can certainly say that of the retirement at the age of just 24 of the highly promising Western Province and Stormers lock David Meihuizen, who was surely destined to become a Springbok if Scotland, who had shown interest, didn’t get there first.
Meihuizen looked the part when he made his Stormers debut as a callow youth four years ago when the Cape team was going through an injury crisis under the coaching of Robbie Fleck. Current Stormers coach John Dobson certainly thought very highly of him and Meihuizen was a big part of his future plans.
It was a knee injury last year that prevented him from kicking on when many thought he would be picking up his playing momentum, but it was ongoing concussion problems that eventually prompted him to decide to retire upon the advice of specialists and the Stormers medical staff. Meihuizen’s early retirement from the game, which he announced on social media on Tuesday night, does bring a argument to counterbalance those of us who say the focus on head and neck injuries, which leads to red cards becoming so prevalent in the modern game, is a negative in the sense that it over-sanitises the sport.
According to a Western Province press release issued on Wednesday morning, it was a knock he sustained towards the end of the game against Connacht that brought about the latest concussion problems that forced Meihuizen to make a decision he understandably described as a very hard one to make.
“This is not a decision I take lightly but my health needs to be my first priority. I would like to thank Western Province Rugby for their faith in me as a player. I couldn’t have picked a better union to spend my short career at,” said Meihuizen in his heartfelt statement on social media.
“And lastly to the Stormers and WP boys. Thank your for all the seasons. The wins, losses, heartbreaks and celebrations. For the friends I have experienced, the experiences I have had an the life lessons I have learned.”
Stormers doctor James Suter said that given Meihuizen’s history of concussion, his condition was something that he and the medical staff had been alert to for some time.
“Unfortunately, this is not the first time David had felt prolonged concussion symptoms, so we have been monitoring him closely for some time,” said Suter.
“All correct procedures were being followed in order to get him back on the field safely, but it was not to be and while it is very sad that he has had to make the decision to walk away from the game on medical advice, it is ultimately the right call with his future beyond rugby in mind.”
Dobson was on the money when he said that while Meihuizen had made the right decision, his loss will be felt by the Stormers and WP. Meihuizen’s potential offset the departure from the union of such second-row stars as Eben Etzebeth, JD Schickerling and Cobus Wiese as well as the retirement of stalwart Chris van Zyl.
Salmaan Moerat is considered a player of considerable potential, but he is currently out injured, while Springbok Marvin Orie has returned home to the union where he learned his rugby at school after playing at the Bulls and Lions. Adre Smith, lured to the Cape from Griquas, is turning out to be a player with immense potential too.
However, given how many games there are in a United Rugby Championship season, and the possibility the Stormers will be involved in the European Champions Cup next year, which will mean more fixtures, there is a clear gap that needs to be filled because of Meihuizen’s departure.
It is no secret that the Stormers have been talking to Springbok World Cup winner Lood de Jager, who wants to return to South Africa and has family in Somerset West. But while like Etzebeth at the Sharks that would be a good buy, it needs to be remembered that the international players will only be available for small portions of the season in the next two years as there is a World Cup scheduled for 2023 and the Boks are still committed to the southern hemisphere Rugby Championship.
Ben-Jason Dixon and Connor Evans, 23 and 21 respectively, will lock the WP scrum in the Currie Cup game against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Wednesday and as they are both highly promising there may be increased focus on their performances and development in the domestic competition in the wake of Meihuizen's retirement. Simon Miller, on the bench in Bloemfontein, is also a prodigious talent though like Dixon he is also seen as a blindside flank.