Following an exuberant and heartwarming hero’s welcome at the OR Tambo international airport on Tuesday morning, Siya Kolisi has shed a bit of light on his future as Springboks captain.
Kolisi, 32, led the Springboks to their historic record fourth Rugby World Cup trophy and became the second captain ever to win back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles. Former New Zealand captain Richie McCaw lifted the trophy in 2011 and 2015.
In the final on Saturday, South Africa beat All Blacks in a pulsating match, winning by a narrow 12-11. The 2023 final was played in the Stade de France in Paris.
Addressing the media during a press briefing upon their arrival, Kolisi thanked all South Africans for their support. He said the nation’s support helped them to successfully defend their crown.
“On behalf of the team, I’d like to first start by thanking all the South Africans for their endless support. It’s been a long and tough 20 weeks, but it’s also been four years of us planning for this opportunity of winning back-to-back [titles],” Siya Kolisi said.
“When they (coaching stuff) first came, they didn’t think we’d win it (World Cup) in 2019. They were focused on 2023 because of the group that we had and how much experience we’d have this time.
“Obviously things changed as we got better and better and finally came through both in 2019 and 2023.”
There are other leaders in team
Regarding his future as the Boks captain, Kolisi said he has not had time to think about it.
“In all honesty, I haven’t thought about my future with the Springboks yet,” he said.
“The most important thing has always been to help the team the World Cup. Obviously, being a Springbok captain is huge, especially for the country.
“But for us, I only have a small role to play in the team. There are other leaders in there such as Eben [Etzebeth] and Duane [Vermeulen] – so whoever gets to captain the team, will always get the most support and will fit in like a glove.
“Basically, it is all about what you do on and off the pitch and for me, as long as I put of the Springboks jersey, I am happy.”
The Boks national team is due to go on a trophy parade across the country in selected provinces: Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Eastern Cape.
