Siyamthanda ‘Siya’ Kolisi is at the forefront of South African rugby. The loose forward is the South African national team captain and also plays for the Sharks Super Rugby franchise.
Having represented his country in age-group World Cups, the man they call ‘The Bear’ burst onto the top-tier rugby scene in 2012 at just 20 years old, when he made his Super Rugby debut for the Stormers. A dynamic player, with a rare blend of speed and power, he’s comfortable on both sides of the scrum and impressed many with a series of electric performances. He got injured late in that first season but bounced back in 2013, when, at the tender age of 21, he made his Springbok debut vs Scotland. He came off the bench early in the match and managed to put in a man-of-the-match performance. A sign of things to come.
Siya continued to turn in consistently outstanding performances on the field and backed this up with growing leadership skills and professionalism. He was ultimately rewarded with the Stormers captaincy in 2017 and, in 2018, was named Springbok captain number 61; making history as the first black rugby captain in the 127-year history of South African test rugby.
In 2019 he became the third South African captain to lift rugby union’s ultimate prize, driving his team to a spectacular 32-12 victory over a much-fancied England side in Yokohama, Japan. It was an iconic moment for the man who rose to international stardom from humble beginnings in an Eastern Cape township.
In 2021, Kolisi left the Stormers to play in the United Rugby Championship for The Sharks of Durban. He also continued his streak of international success, captaining South Africa to a series victory over the British and Irish Lions.
Off the field, Siya is a family man. He and wife Rachel have two children and also care for his own younger siblings, whom they legally adopted. Siya is passionate about helping and creating opportunities for the less fortunate and, as a globally-known face, recognises he has a platform to utilise his influence to help change the world for the better.
