Kolisi step in right direction

History was made this week with the announcement of Siya Kolisi as the latest Springbok captain.

We echo the same sentiments of those who described the development as long overdue.

Much as we celebrate Kolisi’s elevation, it may be regarded as still being too good to be true as the appointment is specifically for the upcoming three Tests against England this month.

Nonetheless, we believe this could be one step towards addressing the pressing issue that is transformation in rugby where the mention of “quota” still forms part of conversations to this day.

In 2006, Chiliboy Ralepelle – also hailed as SA’s top black talent with leadership qualities at the time – assumed captaincy but his role lasted just one match in the Springbok XV versus World XV, which was not even an official Test match. It is against this background that we guard against overcelebrating Kolisi’s installation as Boks skipper. Bok coach Rassie Erasmus maintained that transformation debates played no role in his decision to award Kolisi the captaincy. He reasoned that it was the player’s leadership qualities that won him the honour.

“I know Siya is a good leader and I am excited about what he can offer us‚” said Erasmus this week.

But recent captains Warren Whiteley and Eben Etzebeth are out injured, and joy over Kolisi may be short-lived. Hopefully the player-coach relationship, which spans many seasons at the Stormers, will ensure that Kolisi is not another “once-off ” moment in Boks history. We wish the team well in their Test against Wales in Washington DC tomorrow.