Siya Kolisi has proven himself time and time again why he is not only the greatest Springbok captain, but the best advocate for South Africa through sport.
On the occasion of his 100th test cap, which will be played against France, we look back at some of his most inspiring speeches…
SIYA KOLISI UNITES SOUTH AFRICA THROUGH WORDS AND ACTION
Whether on or off the pitch, Siya Kolisi is known for his speeches that touch hearts by spreading messages of hope, hard work, acceptance, unity, and equality.
Here are a few…
Carrying South Africa on their shoulders
During the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Siya Kolisi often thanked South Africans for their unwavering support.
He said on one occasion: “We know what this team has meant [to South Africans] – not just in sport but to our country in general.
“We use that to inspire us and keep us going.
“More than half the people in our country are unemployed, some don’t have homes. I’m not saying we’re going to win every game but giving up and not giving everything would be cheating – not just myself or the team, but for the rest of the people at home.
He continued: “Sometimes you can look at yourself and feel sorry for yourself for what you are going through, but we don’t. We use that pain and those struggles [from home] and we put them on our shoulders, and we carry them with us to drive us to the battles.
“It helps us to keep on going.”
‘Free of GBV’….
Last year, Siya Kolisi had fans in tears when he dedicated the Springboks’ victory against the All Blacks at Ellis Park, in light of the 30th anniversary of democracy, to all those who had yet to experience freedom.
For the father-of-two, this meant victims of poverty and gender-based violence.
He said: “It’s 30 years of freedom; I want to say congratulations to South Africans. But we still know there are many people who are still not free.
“Hopefully, the next celebration we celebrate is the women who are free of Gender-Based Violence.”
Defending his team from critics
During the World Cup, Siya Kolisi stepped up to counter criticism from the public, particularly online bullies of flyhalf Manie Libbok, whose missed kicks made headlines.
He said in a media conference: “We play as a team, and sometimes you’re not good at one thing on the day. But the way Manie attacked, the way he took control of the team, how he was a general, people forget that, and they remember the missed kicks.
“If someone’s lacking, somebody else picks up. He’s not going to be good at everything every single game. That’s why we work together, (and) don’t get stressed about it.”
Inspiring ALL races
In 2018, Siya Kolisi told The Guardian that he promoted a sense of unity from within the Springbok squad.
He said, “We as players represent the whole country. I tell my teammates that you should never play just to represent one group. You can’t play to be the best black player or to be the best white player to appeal to a community. You have to play to be the best for every South African.
“We represent something much bigger than we can imagine.”
‘Say yes to God’
In 2017, Siya Kolisi addressed HillSong Church to talk about how his faith had inspired him to become a great leader.
He said: “God chose me in my family to be the one to be the light in the family. I told myself that when I make it, I want to make a difference in people’s lives. And now I have the platform, which is rugb.y
He continued: “Every day I wake up in the morning and pray, I thank God for all the blessings, and I ask for forgiveness. I tell Him to take over when I go on the field, I ask the Holy Spirit to be present amongst us.
“I tell God, ‘just take over my body, do your work through me. I cannot explain why I play so well, but I know God is doing his work in me”
GENDER EQUALITY IN SPORT
Siya Kolisi has also used his platform to encourage South Africans to support other sports, such as soccer, cricket, and netball, among others.
In particular, he has shown up to matches played by female sports teams and has encouraged lawmakers to pay women their due.
In 2022, he told the media: “This issue is very personal to me because I know a lot of women who work 10 times harder than me but don’t get the same recognition, and nobody really knows about them because they don’t get enough airtime.
“How are we going to inspire young women if they don’t see people who look like them publicised for the good work they are doing out there. We talk about representation — it is not only about skin colour, but it also about gender.
He continued: “I want my daughter to be able to see other women and young women doing amazing things in sport on television or other platforms so that she can also aspire to whatever she wants to be….I feel that as men, it is our duty to do that.
“We can encourage the politicians, but we must start celebrating women as men.”
