Schalk Burger leaves hospital

Cape Town - Springbok loose forward Schalk Burger has been sent home to recuperate after spending two weeks in a Cape Town hospital being treated for bacterial meningitis, the player's agent confirmed on Thursday.

Bacterial meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord, a disease he contracted after undergoing surgery to reduce pressure on a nerve that was influencing the performance of his calf muscle.

The calf issue, coupled with a knee problem, has kept Burger sidelined for more than a year after he was injured in the opening game of the 2012 Super Rugby season.

The Stormers forward now faces at least another six weeks of rest before he will be able to resume training.

Burger, who turns 30 on Saturday, has 68 caps for South Africa having made his debut in the 2003 season. He was named IRB Player of the Year in 2004 and was part of the Springbok side that lifted the World Cup three years later.