Siya Kolisi was named Springbok captain in 2018. Image via Instagram @siyakolisi
First black Springbok captain: Siya Kolisi goes down memory lane
First black Springbok captain: Siya Kolisi took a trip down memory lane as he recalled the day he became the captain of the Springboks.
Siya Kolisi was named Springbok captain in 2018. Image via Instagram @siyakolisi
In an Instagram video posted on Sunday, 1 October by Super Sport, Springbok captain, Siya Kolisi took a trip down memory lane and opened up about having been taken by surprise in 2018 by rugby coach, Johan ‘Rassie’ Erasmus when he was made the captain of the Springboks.
SIYA KOLISI RECALLS THE DAY HE WAS MADE THE SPRINGBOK’S CAPTAIN
Siya Kolisi became the official Springbok captain on 28 May 2018. He made history as the national team’s first black captain in its 126-year history. Previous to the announcement, Kolisi, 26 years old at the time, was the vice-captain to Eben Etzebeth and had temporarily taken over the captain role, The Guardian reported.
Looking back on the day he was officially passed the baton, Kolisi, now 32 years old, says he is entirely grateful to have been awarded the opportunity, admitting that he never saw it coming.
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“I am grateful to Coach Rassie for trusting me. When he announced it, I was in shock more than anything else because the last time he saw me, I was this young heavy-drinking boy who was making bad decisions in life,” Kolisi said.
MORE ABOUT THE SPRINGBOK’S CAPTAIN
Siya Kolisi shared that in his last conversation with Johan ‘Rassie’ Erasmus, before he was made captain, he had been reprimanded after he and one of his teammates had accidentally butt-dialed the Stomers coach John Dobson aka Dobbo, during a night out. He now looks back and laughs at the things he used to do.
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“He (Coach Rassie) comes back and makes me captain. I was really shocked, but he has also known me for a very long time. He has seen me through the good and the bad [times]. If I had to stand here and say [that] I did this by myself, I’d be lying because that’s never been the case,” Kolisi shared.
“There has never been a chapter of my life that I’ve done by myself. I have always had people around me – people who believed in me,” the captain of the Springboks concluded.
Earlier this year, Kolisi announced that he will be relocating to France to join the French rugby club, Racing 92. He will be joining the team right after the Rugby World Cup 2023 games.
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