Siya Kolisi: The Springboks' first black Rugby WC winning captain

The South African national rugby team or the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup final in Yokohama, Japan on Saturday by defeating England in the final. Thousands of South African supporters screamed joyfully and sang at the OR Tambo Airport near Johannesburg as the Springboks returned home with a frenzied reception to their first-ever black captain, Siya Kolisi.

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Siya Kolisi leading from the front

The Springboks exceeded everybody’s expectations at the World Cup. Having lost to New Zealand early in the tournament, nobody expected them to win the tournament a few weeks later. But winning the final by 20 points was indeed very convincing. And Siya Kolisi was there leading his side inspirationally to their third World Cup win.

Siya Kolisi battling his way throughout

Born to teenage parents in the poor township of Zwide, just outside Port Elizabeth on the Eastern Cape, Siya Kolisi was brought up by his grandmother, who cleaned kitchens to make ends meet. Kolisi was 16 when the Springboks won their second Rugby World Cup title in 2007. There was no television in his house so he had to go to a local bar to watch John Smit lift the trophy after beating England in the final in Paris. Kolisi was appointed as the captain of South Africa's rugby team in 2018 with his first test coming on June 09, 2018, which itself made history. And almost 16 months on, he led his side to glory. The Springboks captain got a chance to etch his name in history books on Saturday when he led South Africa to a victory in the final against England. As a loose forward, Kolisi was a significant asset to a Springbok team that battled their way through the finals. The final was his 50th cap and his 20th as a captain. The kid from nowhere has entered a territory where none have gone before.

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Siya Kolisi inspiring change

Rugby matters in many places around the world, but only in South Africa it has the power to unite a nation and to change the course of history. Siya Kolisi's impact is far greater than simply what he does on the pitch because of all that has happened before this moment. When the Springboks triumphed in Johannesburg 24 years ago, there was just one black player, Chester Williams, in the starting 15. By the time of their second World Cup win in 2007, there were still only two. This year in their squad of 31, 11 were black which included their captain. Things are changing in South Africa, despite having over 75 per cent of black people in the country, it is now that they have become prominent with hopes that many would follow Kolisi's path and lead their nation in various walks of life.

Siya Kolisi after an emotional victory in the final

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