Whiteley likely to miss Rugby World Cup - report

Cape Town - It's looking increasingly unlikely that Lions and Springbok No 8 Warren Whiteley will not make the Springbok Rugby World Cup squad.

Afrikaans newspaper Rapport reported on Sunday that Whiteley is out of the picture for the World Cup after he missed the chance to prove his fitness in the Golden Lions' Currie Cup match against the Blue Bulls at the weekend.

The report said that an infection in Whiteley's knee hampered his chances of facing the Bulls. His knee responded well to training for the first six weeks of his rehabilitation programme but he started struggling when he had to up the intensity.

Time is now running out for Whiteley to regain his fitness and match sharpness to convince Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus that he should form part of his Rugby World Cup plans.

The 31-year-old Whiteley played 23 Tests for the Springboks between 2014 and 2018, but his career has been plagued by injuries over the last year.