Fourie hangs up his boots
Former Springboks and Lions centre Jacque Fourie has decided to call it a day in his rugby career with immediate effect.
Fourie played 72 Tests for the Springboks between 2003 and 2013, with his last Test coming against France in Paris in November 2013.
After that, he made himself unavailable for international rugby and fully committed himself to playing club rugby in Japan, where he first joined the Panasonic Wild Knights in 2011.
He played one season there before signing for the Kobe Kobelco Steelers. He played his last game for the Steelers earlier this month.
Fourie started his career at the Lions in 2003, before moving to the Stormers in 2010.
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After Fourie made himself unavailable for the Boks, there were attempts from then-Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer to bring him back into the international scene.
Fourie scored 32 tries in a glittering Springbok career which saw him win a World Cup (2007), the Tri-Nations (2009), as well as beat the British and Irish Lions in a three-Test series (2009).
Fourie has stated he is keen to stay involved in the game as a defence coach specialist.