Breaking poverty cycle
Kolisi hopes to inspire future stars
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi carries not only the weight of an expectant nation as he leads SA into the Rugby World Cup in Japan, but also the hopes of millions of youngsters who dream of using sport to break the cycle of poverty.
In 2018, Kolisi was named SA’s first black Test captain – a reward for his all-action style on the flank coupled with a level head and passion for the game that he hopes to pass on to a new generation of players in the townships.
Kolisi, 28, grew up in Port Elizabeth’s Zwide township, where wearing the Springbok jersey seemed an impossible dream.
After impressing in a youth tournament, he won a scholarship to Port Elizabeth’s Grey High School, an established rugby school that would help set him on his current path.
Kolisi believes there are many other “Siya Kolisis” out there in SA, if they can develop the same kind of passion for the game.
“Before, not a lot of us could dream of opportunities like this but, as you can see, now it is becoming more normal.
“It is possible,” Kolisi, who missed most of the 2019 international season with a nagging knee injury, said on Monday.
“Every day I make sure I work as hard as I can so that kids who come from the same area as me can say, ‘If he can do it, so can I’.
“That is the ultimate goal. “I want those kids to believe they can make it if they work as hard as they can.”
SA coach Rassie Erasmus has also played a key role in Kolisi’s rise and was coach of Western Province when the back rower earned his first professional contract.
“I’ve known the coach for quite a long time,” Kolisi said.
“He gave me my first contract out of school.
“He knows where I come from – that these types of opportunities we did not really dream about.”
The knowledge that he has unwavering support from other senior players in the team is also a big plus and will help him settle back into the role, after not having captained the side since 2018 as a result of his injury.
“I’m excited, but I’m also very nervous. I’m not going to lie about it.
“I have confidence in my teammates that they will support me,” he said.
“There are a lot of guys who have led before and can lead again, so that is something I am counting on.
“Whenever I need help I go to my teammates – I am not the kind of guy who wants to be seen to be in charge.
“I am always looking for help from others and to allow others to lead in ways that I cannot do.”
Two-time winners SA open their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Yokohama on September 21.
They have also been pooled with Italy, Namibia and Canada. –