Siya Kolisi of South Africa during the 2021 International Test Match Rugby Series between South Africa and Georgia at Loftus Stadium, Pretoria on 02 July 2021 ©Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
Springbok latest | Siya Kolisi makes history as the first-ever player of colour to captain Boks against British & Irish Lions
Siya Kolisi returns to lead the Springboks out in their first Test match against the British & Irish Lions at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, 24 June.
Siya Kolisi of South Africa during the 2021 International Test Match Rugby Series between South Africa and Georgia at Loftus Stadium, Pretoria on 02 July 2021 ©Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
Siya Kolisi returns to lead the Springboks out in their first Test match against the British & Irish Lions at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, 24 June.
Jacques Nienaber has named the Bok World Cup-winning skipper in his starting line-up in the opening match of this prestigious series.
Kolisi united a nation when he leadS the Springboks as the first captain of colour in the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
He now returns to the lead Boks at the start of a tour that carries a deeply embedded history and culture as great and in many ways bigger than even the World Cup itself. Once every 12 years, it is a generational series.
The Sharks skipper will write himself into the history books of South African rugby and the British & Irish Lions series.
He is the first player of colour to lead the Springboks, or any international side for that matter, against the Lions.
Kolisi leads a side that is very similar to the one that conquered the world in Tokyo back in 2019 with 11 of the same starting 15 returning for the series opener.
The only changes to the side are the inclusion of Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane, Franco Mostert and Kwagga Smith. Mostert actually started the opening group stage match against New Zealand while Kwagga started the 16-16 draw with the All Blacks in Wellington.
Ox Nche has the opportunity to prove his worth after an excellent season with the Sharks since joining them.
Warren Gatland will name his side on Thursday with South African Duhan van Der Merwe expected to start.
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The whole nation is behind him as the Boks look to be the first team to win the series since the 2009 Springboks.
Kolisi has lead from the front and will carry the hopes of millions of South Africans supporting the Boks from home.
