Share

Former Stormers, Bath forward set to retire

Cape Town - Former Stormers and Bath forward Nick Koster is set to retire from all rugby at the end of the weekend.

The 29-year-old played for the Stormers and Western Province from 2008 to 2012, operating as a loose forward, but he made the move to Bath in 2012. 

The bulk of his English career, however, was spent at Bristol where he played from 2013 to 2017. 

Since being released by Bristol at the end of 2017, Koster has been representing the University of Cambridge. He will retire after this weekend's round of club fixtures.

"I started playing as a six-year-old out in a farming area of South Africa, where we played at 8 on Saturday mornings when it was freezing and your toes would turn blue, but I loved it and enjoyed the sport so much from a young age," Koster told Cambridgeshire Live

"When I did get to the professional side of the sport it turned out to be very different to how I expected and very different to the reason I fell in love with the game. For me to come back to the amateur setting and finish my career here in a game like this is a really special thing to be able to do.

"People fall in love with the amateur values of the game, and for me to be able to play two years of amateur rugby again after 10 years as a pro has been surreal. Being surrounded by people playing the game for the love of it again, I get to finish it off on my terms. It will be my last game, and apart from the odd drunken sevens tournament, I won’t be playing much rugby after this.

"One more game, and I’ll lead from the front and do everything in my power to make sure I leave that game feeling I have done myself, the university and everyone else justice."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2251 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE