Who will be the next Springboks captain after the great Kolisi?
We run the rule on the men most likely to lead the team
Ever since the outspoken and straight-from-the-shoulder Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus hinted on a change of captaincy when he said that he prefers his captain to play their rugby in South Africa, it remains to be seen who will succeed Siya Kolisi as the next Boks skipper.
Kolisi signed a lucrative deal with French top club Racing 92, which has since put the issue of his continued captaincy in the spotlight.
Chasing the Sun 2, the Springboks Rugby World Cup five-part documentary series, is where Erasmus probably threw the biggest hint as to who is likely to be the Boks’ next captain and hopefully lead the team to bigger heights under his reign once again.
With Kolisi coming out in public to accept his fate, Sunday World looks at some of the potential candidates to captain the Springboks in 2024:
Bongi Mbonambi:
Following the emotional ending on episode four of Chasing the Sun 2, where the Boks hooker broke down in the locker room after a thrilling hard-fought Rugby World Cup semi-final win against England, it goes without saying that Mbonambi will be high up the list of suitors to be the next captain.
In that particular game against England where the Boks won 16-15, Mbonambi did not only do the unthinkable of playing a full 80 minutes, but also took the captaincy from Kolisi.
After the Boks’ colossal battle led by Mbonambi, Erasmus said to the 32-year-old: “Well done man! You turned the whole game. This is what a captain does. You don’t give up! You deserve respect!”
Those words have since left many wondering if that was a hint from Erasmus that Mbonambi would be the next Boks captain.
Damian Willemse:
For many staunch rugby followers, they will know that Willemse lacked consistency in his game until the World Cup in France.
He showed why he is one for the future and a leader in the making for the Springboks, as he contributed to the history of SA rugby by displaying solid performances when the odds were stacked against them during the course of the world cup.
At just 25, Willemse already has two world cup gold medals in his cabinet and surely will be taking his experience to the upcoming world cup tournaments.
Lukhanyo Am:
A globetrotting star in his own right, Lukhanyo Am is a definition of a player who lets his game do the talking for him.
Despite missing out on last year’s spectacle, people will never forget what Am did and the impact he had at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, where he orchestrated the famous try by Makazole Mapimpi in the final against England.
Dubbed as “the best No.13 on the planet”, the Sharks centre is one of the fan favourites and probably a name that will be thrown in the hat in the selection of a new Bok skipper.
Eben Etzebeth:
Currently the most capped Springbok with more than a hundred appearances, Etzebeth is undoubtedly one of the front-runners to take over the captaincy.
The Shark’s lock has previously captained the Boks on
13 occasions and as a full-time skipper in 2017, he stood in for an injured Kolisi in 2019.
However, this could be the year that “Elizabedi” will look to take over the captaincy role on a permanent basis.
Steven Kitshoff
Having set to spend only one season in Ireland with Ulster, the Springboks prop Kitshoff is linked with a move back to SA and is set to make a sensational return to the Stormers.
The two-time rugby world champion is also another experienced Springbok with 83 caps and knows what it takes to carry a team on his back having captained the Stormers before he left.
Kitshoff will certainly be another candidate on Erasmus’ list of potential captains, should his move back to SA materialise.