Seabelo Senatla: Stormers and Blitzboks star’s career hanging in the balance

Stormers coach John Dobson has revealed that speedster Seabelo Senatla’s playing career is in jeopardy as a direct result of a car accident he was involved in earlier this month.

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As confirmed by Dobson, Senatla was in a car crash on 4 May, the eve of the Stormers’ United Rugby Championship quarter-final against the Bulls and was thus not available for selection.

At the time, Dobson said: “Seabelo was in a car accident. He is in no shape to play rugby. It will be better if he can spend time with his family.”

Senatla has since also missed their semi-final encounter against Connacht at the Cape Town Stadium due to the injuries he sustained in the accident.

And it has now been confirmed that Senatla will not only also miss the Stormers’ the title-deciding showdown against Munster in the URC Grand Final, but that there is real concern about the future of his playing career due to his injuries.

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THE GRIM REALITY OF THE SEABELO SENATLA SITUATION

In an interview with Sport24 on Thursday, Dobson revealed the harsh realities of Senatla situation, saying no-one is sure if he’ll ever be able to play again and that the next two operations will determine the player’s fate.

“There’s no chance he’ll play in the final,” Dobson said. “He’s got an arm injury that has nerve damage and it is very serious.

“You cannot be certain when he will play again.

“There have been several operations already and it will have long-term consequences. The next two ops will probably be decisive in determining any return to rugby.

“But we are standing by Seabelo … he is a very popular and special member of the team. It’s been a traumatic blow to us.”

THE STORMERS AND FORMER BLITZBOKS STAR