Online Reporter
THE Springboks’ Test against France tonight in Paris will be more than just another match.
It will be a tribute to a leader who has not only captained his country to back-to-back Rugby World Cup victories but also reminded South Africans everywhere that no dream is too far from being reached.
Siya Kolisi will run out for his 100th Test in the green and gold. His story began far from the bright lights of Paris.
Growing up in Zwide, he has admitted that life could have gone in a very different direction.
But the game of rugby changed everything. His journey started with a borrowed pair of boots and a coach who believed in him long before the world did.
What began as a young boy’s dream on township fields evolved into a career that’s broken barriers.
As the first black captain of the Springboks, Siya has done more than lift trophies; he’s lifted hearts.
From Yokohama in 2019 to Paris in 2023, let’s go down memory lane to his incredible debut against Scotland in 2013, where he walked away with the Man of the Match honours.
But what’s a milestone without a message from your mate? Eben Etzebeth, Siya’s long-time teammate, room-mate, and brother beyond the game, shared a heartfelt note ahead of the big game. The two have built what fans fondly call a “bromance.”
“As a friend and probably the guy who’s spent the most time with you in hotel rooms as room-mates, your achievement speaks for so much more than just rugby. What you’ve done off the field, where you come from, and the challenges you’ve faced are incredible.”
Siya’s influence extends far beyond the field. His leadership has inspired millions.
Through victories and humility, his rise has long been one of South Africa’s favourite sports stories.
Robbie Fleck and John Dobson have also paid tribute to Springbok captain Kolisi as a player ahead of his 100th Test in the green and gold. Kolisi will become just the ninth Springbok centurion, joining Percy Montgomery, John Smit, Victor Matfield, Bryan Habana, Jean de Villiers, Beast Mtawarira, Eben Etzebeth and Willie le Roux on that elite list.
But for those who have coached him through every stage of his remarkable journey — from a raw schoolboy talent to a two-time World Cup-winning captain — the milestone is about more than numbers.
Fleck, who first unleashed Kolisi at the Stormers, remembers a young player whose physicality set him apart but also defied easy categorisation.
“He came to us as a blindside and an eight,” Fleck told News24. “At that stage, he was still learning to get to grips with being an open-side because we were so well-stocked there at the time. But he came in as a blindside because he could carry so well; he was effective in that because the biggest part of his game was his carrying ability.”
Kolisi, Fleck explained, has always been a player who bends the definitions of his position.
“He’s not a fetcher; he’s not a Deon Fourie who can go in over the ball or a Kwagga (Smith) who’s really hard on the ball,” he said. “He prefers to link, support people on the run and get the ball, to clean . . . that’s where he’s moulded himself into this hybrid six.”
Dobson, who took over the Stormers reins after Fleck and knows Kolisi as both player and person, believes his influence is even more nuanced.
“Where people miss the point is he is so good on his own ball,” said Dobson. “He gets low, through, aggressive . . . so he helps you generate fast ball and his counter-rucking is amongst the best.” Dobson pointed out that Kolisi’s unseen work — quickening the Springboks’ ball while slowing the opposition’s — is central to the team’s breakdown philosophy.
“His second effort in the tackle and at the breakdown is phenomenal. He’s the best there is. People miss that part because they don’t see him do that Heinrich Brussow manoeuvre, but he’s doing the same thing in a different way.”
When Kolisi runs out for his 100th Springbok cap, he will further solidify his standing as the most influential rugby player of all time.
In a perfect world, Kolisi would have celebrated his 100th Test cap in South Africa in front of tens of thousands of adoring home fans.
Instead, he will reach this milestone in front of a hostile French crowd at the Stade de France.
And yet, Kolisi will not be fazed in the slightest by the fact that the stars aligned in this manner.
Kolisi will know that his journey has always been “perfect” in its “imperfection”.
For a young boy growing up in Zwide, the prospect of reaching 100 Test caps for the Springboks would have been beyond his wildest dreams, and yet here we are.
When he was first appointed as captain, and many questioned the reasons behind that decision, he simply smiled and continued to do things his way. And here we are.
When dips in form, injuries, occasional struggles at domestic level and other setbacks left him facing critics, he al-ways came back stronger and more passionate than ever when playing for the Springboks. And here we are.
And after briefly considering international retirement after the 2023 World Cup, he ultimately decided that being a Springbok was simply too special to turn away from. And so, here we are, on the eve of his 100th Test cap.
What he’s achieved on the field is quantifiable to some degree as he became only the second captain in history (after Richie McCaw of New Zealand) to lead a team to back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles.
Under his leadership, there have also been three Rugby Championship titles and a British & Irish Lions series to celebrate.
Yet, it’s his influence off the field that truly speaks volumes, and is undoubtedly more valuable than the countless trophies he has lifted as Springbok captain.
From his extensive philanthropy to meaningful foundation work to being an outspoken voice against Gender Based Violence, Kolisi’s leadership must be celebrated as much for its significance as a unifying force in South African history, as for its on-field success.
His journey from an impoverished township to leading his country to back-to-back Rugby World Cup victories is a powerful testament to determination, resilience, and the unifying power of sport, while inspiring thousands of young kids to reach for a dream of their own.
Kolisi became the first black African to hold the position of Springbok captain in 2018, and a few years after Beast Mtawarira reached 100 Test caps, he will become the second black African to join the Bok centurion club.
His legacy is unmatched, and it’s not over yet. Yet here we are, on the eve of his 100th Test, and what a truly Proudly South African moment it will be. — Agencies/Zimpapers Sports Hub
