WATCH: Kolisi reveals life-changing conversation with Rassie

Siya Kolisi recently led the Springboks to back-to-back World Cup titles, having maintained an incredible bond with his long-time coach Rassie Erasmus.

Kolisi has previously spoken about how Rassie helped transform the Springboks and ensure players of all colours felt ‘heard’.

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The two have a long history, with Erasmus having been involved with the Stormers and WP Rugby when Kolisi was just coming through onto the senior professional stage.

In a heartfelt interview with former Scotland international Jim Hamilton, Kolisi has spoken about how Erasmus had a crucial conversation with him at a time when the Bok captain admits he battled with ill-discipline and off-field unprofessionalism as a youngster.

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Check out this special interview as Siya Kolisi reflects on the World Cup and the work of Rassie Erasmus

The full special episode is available now exclusively for free on RugbyPass TV

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In an interview with the Daily Mail, Kolisi also previously spoke more about leadership at the Springboks, and what makes it so special.

“When I was younger, living in the township, my mindset was survival. How do I make it through the day? Now I want to encourage people in the township to think big. Have wild dreams. What would I tell young Siya? I would say actually dream about being a doctor, dream about being Springbok captain, because it’s possible.

“We don’t want it to end on the rugby field. When we fight, we don’t fight for ourselves, we fight for those that are coming after us. They will look at us and see our representation. Diversity is our strongest point and that’s what we should use as a country.

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“We want people to have humanity again, where we care about each other. If I’m doing well and you’re struggling, then I’m not doing well until you do well. That’s how we live in our team.

“Coach Rassie (Erasmus) was so good at bringing that in, making sure we mind each other and understand each other. What do the black guys like? We like to sing before we play. Some guys are not used to that so let’s talk about it. Why do we sing? We’ve been singing since we were young. When I was young, I would sing when I was sad, happy, hungry

“When other people join in, it felt like they were carrying my burden with me. Sometimes we don’t even need to warm up, we just sing together and it makes you warm from the inside out. After a while, some of the guys who are not black started singing and now they know the songs. Felix Jones is from Ireland and he could sing the words.”

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Could the Bok skipper go into politics?

With his inspirational leadership and unifying mentality leading many to suggest that Kolisi could be hugely successful in a political position in the country when he retires.

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However, he explained that his real passion would lie with philanthropy through his foundation when he does call it a day on his rugby career.

“Politics? Nah. You don’t want to see me there,” Kolisi said. “I’m going to dedicate myself to my foundation. I went to New York last week and did some fundraising for it.

“South Africa is number one in the world in gender-based violence. My aunt and my mum were the first people I knew that were being abused.

“In my community you see it so many times that it becomes normal. That’s not good, being immune to things like that. If a man and a woman argued then it would end up in a fight, because men don’t really speak.

“I learnt to speak by going through therapy. I had to go to marriage counselling because I couldn’t give everything to my wife, because my heart was so hard and I didn’t know how to speak.

“In my late 20s, I started talking to someone and the first time I went she said: ‘You are damaged in every level. The stuff that you saw is not normal’.

“It’s extreme, it’s bad. You have to speak about it, get through it. That’s why you grow up and your heart is so hard. Something happens in the community, you fight with someone, forgive them, and you move on. That’s normal in my neighbourhood.”

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