The NSW Waratahs admit it may be impossible to replace Jacques Potgieter after the cult hero produced a heartfelt letter to fans confirming he was leaving the Super Rugby champions at the end of season.
Potgieter will return home to South Africa for family reasons and link with the Durban-based Sharks.
The destructive forward has been integral to the Waratahs' transformation from perennial under-achievers to titleholders, with coach Michael Cheika only last week hailing the 29-year-old as his side's best performer since his arrival at the start of 2104.
"To all my supporters and friends, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude for each and every supporter, coach and manager," Potgieter posted on Instagram on Thursday.
"You have shaped me and helped me grow to be the person and player that I am today."
Potgieter was fined $20,000 by the Australian Rugby Union - half of which was suspended - in March for making homophobic slurs against Brumbies players in a heated conference derby in Sydney.
But he was widely commended for the manner in which he accepted responsibility for the slurs, stepping forward to avoid the Waratahs and ARU from triggering a witch hunt.
Potgieter also visited a Sydney Convicts training session the following day to apologise to Australia's only gay rugby club.
"You have accepted me with open arms. The Tahs and Australia felt like my second home," Potgieter wrote.
With marquee imports only permitted two seasons at a Super Rugby club, the Waratahs would have required a special exemption to have the former Springbok stay on had he not opted to return home.
But Potgieter took the decision away from the Waratahs.
"I've had some of my best moments with the Tahs and will forever be thankful to have been a part of this incredible group of people," he wrote.
"From the bottom of my heart THANK YOU."
Assistant coach Daryl Gibson said the Waratahs were obviously disappointed to be losing Potgieter.
"He's been a great servant for us over the last two years, a real crowd favourite for the way he plays the game and an excellent influence on how we like to play the game with physicality," Gibson said.
"But he's got his reasons to return home and we respect that. We did all we can to try and keep him."
The Waratahs will scour the globe for a replacement, but concede finding a like-for-like successor in the form of an aggressive ball-runner and lineout option may be impossible.
"Certainly in a World Cup year it's difficult to replace him with someone of similar calibre, particularly with competition from Europe and so forth around salaries," Gibson said.
"So it might be that we look in NSW and find somebody."
With lock Dean Mumm returning from the UK to the Waratahs next year, Gibson said skipper Dave Dennis was a likely candidate to revert from the second row to his preferred position as blindside flanker when Potgieter departs.
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