Siya Kolisi facts for kids
Kolisi playing for South Africa in 2022
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| Full name | Siyamthanda Kolisi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 16 June 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, Republic of South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 105 kg (231 lb; 16 st 7 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Grey High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Tatjana Smith (sister-in-law) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Siyamthanda "Siya" Kolisi (born 16 June 1991) is a famous South African professional rugby union player. He is the captain of the South Africa national team, also known as the Springboks. Siya Kolisi has played for teams like the Stormers and Racing 92. He currently plays for Sharks in the URC. He usually plays as a flanker, which is a type of loose forward.
In 2018, Kolisi made history by becoming the first black captain of the Springboks. He led the team to win the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final against England. He then led them to victory again in the 2023 Rugby World Cup Final against New Zealand.
In December 2019, New African magazine named Kolisi one of the 100 Most Influential Africans. In April 2023, the South African Government gave him the Order of Ikhamanga for his great work in rugby. In October 2023, Siya Kolisi captained South Africa to a historic fourth Rugby World Cup win. This made him only the second captain to win the title two times in a row. Kolisi is one of only 44 players who have won the Rugby World Cup more than once. He is one of 25 South Africans to do so.
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Siya Kolisi's Early Life
Siya Kolisi grew up in Zwide, a township in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. His mother, Phakama, was 16 when he was born. His father, Fezakele, was still in his last year of school. Siya's mother passed away when he was 15 years old. His grandmother, Nolulamile, then raised him.
When he was 12, he impressed rugby scouts at a youth tournament. He was offered a scholarship to Grey Junior in Port Elizabeth. Later, he received a rugby scholarship to Grey High School. Famous cricketers like Graeme Pollock and Mike Catt also went to this school. Kolisi was a regular player on his high school's top rugby team. He also played for the Eastern Province Kings youth teams from 2007 to 2009. He then moved to play for Western Province. He also played for the South Africa national under-18 rugby union team for two years.
Kolisi's Club Rugby Career
Siya Kolisi started his senior rugby career with Western Province in 2011. He played against the Golden Lions in the 2011 Vodacom Cup. Later that year, he got to play regularly in the Currie Cup. He played 13 games and scored 4 tries.
In 2012, Kolisi joined the Stormers team. He played 16 games in the season and scored one try. However, a thumb injury limited him to only one game in the 2012 Currie Cup. He watched from the side as his team won the Currie Cup.
Kolisi came back strong in 2013. He kept his spot in the Stormers team. He played 13 games and scored 2 tries. This led to him being recognized for international play. He joined the Springbok team for the 2013 Rugby Championship.
On 20 February 2017, Kolisi was chosen as the new captain of the Stormers. On 28 May 2018, he became the new captain of the Springboks. This was a huge moment, as he was the team's first black captain in its 126-year history. Bryan Habana, a former Springbok player, praised Kolisi's appointment.
Kolisi joined the Sharks team in February 2021. He then signed with the French team Racing 92 in January 2023. He joined them after the World Cup that year. Kolisi rejoined the Sharks in 2024. His contract with Racing 92 was supposed to last until 2026, but the French club agreed to end it early.
Kolisi's International Rugby Career
Siya Kolisi played for the South Africa under 20 team in 2010 and 2011.
He made his debut for the national team, the Springboks, on 15 June 2013. This was against Scotland in Nelspruit. He came into the game early due to an injury and was named Man of the Match. South Africa won 30–17. He played many more games that year, becoming a regular player. Kolisi also played in two matches for South Africa in the 2015 Rugby World Cup. On 9 June 2018, he became the first black player to captain the Springboks in a Test match.
He led the South African team at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. They beat England 32–12 in the final to win the Webb Ellis Cup. This was South Africa's third World Cup win, matching New Zealand. In 2019, Siya Kolisi became the first black captain of a World Cup-winning team.
The 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa happened during the Covid-19 pandemic. Fans could not attend the games. Despite not playing much rugby in 2020, Kolisi led his team to beat the Lions two matches to one.
He captained the South African team again at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. They beat the All Blacks 12–11 in the final to win the Webb Ellis Cup. This win meant South Africa matched New Zealand's record of winning back-to-back World Cups. It also made South Africa the first nation to win an incredible fourth World Cup title. In 2023, Siya Kolisi became the first South African captain to lift the Webb Ellis trophy twice. He also matched Richie McCaw of New Zealand as the only two captains to win successive Rugby World Cup campaigns.
Captaincy Achievements
Siya Kolisi is the most successful South African Captain. He won two World Cups in a row, in 2019 and 2023. He also holds the record for leading South Africa to four wins in a row against the All Blacks. He has won the most trophies in one year (2024) as a Springboks Captain. These include the Qatar Airways Cup, the Mandela Challenge Plate, the Freedom Cup, The Rugby Championship, and the Prince William Cup. Under his leadership, South Africa also won the British & Irish Lions Series in 2021.
Siya Kolisi's Personal Life
Kolisi married Rachel Smith in 2016. They have two children together: a son named Nicholas Siyamthanda (born 2014) and a daughter named Keziah (born 2017). Since 2014, Siya's half-siblings, Liyema and Liphelo, have lived with the Kolisi family. They had been in orphanages and foster care in Port Elizabeth after their mother (Siya's mother) passed away in 2009. Rachel is from Grahamstown. She worked in event management before becoming a full-time mother.
Kolisi's sister-in-law is Tatjana Smith, a very successful South African swimmer. She is married to Rachel's brother, Joel Smith.
Siya Kolisi is a Christian. He is also a fan of the English football club Liverpool F.C.. In 2022, his old school, Grey High School, renamed its main rugby field "The Kolisi Field" to honor him.
On 22 October 2024, Kolisi and his wife announced that they were ending their marriage. They said they would remain friends and focus on their children and their foundation.
Philanthropy and Charity Work
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, Kolisi and his wife started The Kolisi Foundation. This foundation works to help reduce inequality in South Africa. The Kolisi Foundation focuses on issues like Gender-Based Violence, Food Insecurity, and Education and Sport. They pay special attention to Zwide township, where Kolisi grew up, and other areas in South Africa that need more resources.
In 2020, Kolisi and his friend, cricketer Faf du Plessis, gave food parcels to a community feeding program in Bonteheuwel.
In July 2020, Kolisi was named a UN Global Advocate for the Spotlight Initiative. This initiative works to stop violence against women and girls.
Honours and Awards
International Achievements
- 2023 Qatar Airways Cup:
- Winning Captain: 2023
- Prince William Cup:
- Winner (1): 2013
- Winning Captain: 2021
- Winning Captain: 2022
- Winning Captain: 2023
- Winning Captain: 2024
- Mandela Challenge Plate:
- Winner: 2013
- Winning Captain: 2024
- Freedom Cup:
- Winning Captain: 2024
- 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa:
- Winning Captain: 2021
- The Rugby Championship:
- Winning Captain: 2019
- Winning Captain: 2024
See also
In Spanish: Siya Kolisi para niños
