Siya Kolisi of the Stormers trains alone in the heat during the 2020 Super Rugby Unlocked training session for the Stormers at Bellville HPC in Cape Town on 10 November 2020 © Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix
Siya Kolisi latest | Packing for Durban: He’ll be a Sharks player within days
Siya Kolisi’s much reported move from the Cape to the Sharks will be wrapped up this week. And not a moment too soon!
Siya Kolisi of the Stormers trains alone in the heat during the 2020 Super Rugby Unlocked training session for the Stormers at Bellville HPC in Cape Town on 10 November 2020 © Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix
The Siya Kolisi saga continues, but those sick to death of the “will he, won’t he” online space the Springbok skipper’s reported move from the Cape to the Sharks has hogged in recent weeks (even longer?) will no doubt be thrilled to learn that it’s nearly over.
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By all accounts Kolisi will be leaving the Stormers and Western Province and joining the Sharks.
His reasons for doing so are well documented.
The Sharks are now controlled by American consortium MVM Holdings who earlier this year acquired a 51% stake in the KwaZulu-Natal union after failing to negotiate a similar deal with WP Rugby.
MVM Holdings have an agency called Roc Nation. Siya Kolisi is a client of Roc Nation. It makes sense for their client to be playing for them and not against them.
Get it?
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Whether Siya Kolisi actually packs up his bags – and his family – and moves to Durban or just flies in and out for practices and matches remains to be seen.
Which of the coastal cities is a better place to live is a debate for another day (or perhaps the comments section below …)
Remember Duane Vermeulen and Schalk Brits spent the majority of their time in the Cape while playing for the Bulls.
Faf du Plessis and Dale Steyn lived in Cape Town while playing for the Titans.
It doesn’t have to be such a disruption to one’s lifestyle to change teams, especially when one’s children have just started school – and the wife is happy!
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Kolisi’s contract with WP ends after the British & Irish Lions’ tour later this year.
According to reports, the two unions are thrashed out a deal which both parties are happy with (and doesn’t include payment of a R1 million transfer fee for his early release).
Up next for WP/Stormers and the Sharks is the Franchise Cup, followed by the Rainbow Cup (you really can’t make up better tournament names?).
The Sharks will understandably want to have Kolisi part of their set-up sooner rather than later and WP/Stormers will want to get on with life post-Kolisi as soon as possible.
Whether Kolisi is just the first player of many to depart the Cape remains to be seen.
Whether Kolisi even makes the Sharks starting XV also remains to be seen.
Kolisi has largely been out of the limelight since the Springboks won the 2019 Rugby World Cup over 15 months ago now for those who can even remember that far back.
Apart from being delivered a can of Red Bull with his face on it by paraglider (HERE) and the Kolisis been given matching Mercedes’ to drive (HERE), he’s hardly been in the news with all his on-field injuries and WP being so poor in the Currie Cup.
Oh wait, Siya Kolisi also sang Happy Birthday to his wife Rachel which almost broke the internet.
Jokes aside, the Siya Kolisi “we he, won’t he” move to the Sharks will be wrapped up this week.
And not a moment too soon.
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