Will Springboks captain Siya Kolisi and his rumoured girlfriend, Rachel John, celebrate her birthday together on New Year's Eve?
As the festive season winds down, all eyes are on Springboks captain Siya Kolisi and his rumoured romance with the spunky Dutch-Nigerian influencer Rachel John.
With John heading back to South Africa to mark her 25th birthday on New Year’s Eve — and Kolisi spotted departing the Seychelles – speculation is rife about whether the pair will reunite to celebrate the milestone occasion.
Despite the ongoing dating rumours, John and Kolisi did not spend Christmas together this year. Take a look…
Siya Kolisi’s Seychelles Christmas
The double World Cup-winning Kolisi spent Christmas in the Seychelles, prioritising quality “daddy duty” time with his children — Nicholas (11) and Keziah (9), along with his younger siblings Liyema and Liphelo.
‘I’m hooked’
The 34-year-old rugby star shared heart-warming glimpses of their balmy beach adventure, including fishing excursions where he proudly displayed a large tuna and other catches on his Instagram account.
This relaxed, family-focused getaway highlighted Kolisi’s commitment to fatherhood following his high-profile split from Rachel Kolisi in October 2024 after eight years of marriage.
The former Springbok WAG is set to walk away with half of Siya Kolisi’s multimillion-rand fortune.
Ex-wife Rachel Kolisi’s early-bird Christmas celebration
Meanwhile, Kolisi’s ex-wife hosted an early Christmas gathering a few days before the holiday.
She celebrated with the children, Siya’s siblings, as well as with her brother Joel Smith and his wife, retired Olympic swimmer Tatjana Smith.
The South African rugby star, who is set to move to Cape Town in 2026 to play for the Stormers, and Tatjana have recently unfollowed one another on Instagram.
‘So grateful’
Captioning her “Christmas post”, Rachel Kolisi expressed gratitude for having everyone together, noting the kids were set to depart soon after to spend some time over the festive season with their dad.
“Christmas 2025 ❤️. We celebrated a few days earlier this year; the kids are leaving tomorrow. So grateful I had all 4 together for the day!”
Rachel – who recently her “Falling Forward” journey – also wished the nation all the best for Christmas.
“Hope you all have a beautiful time celebrating this festive season.”
Siya Kolisi and the ‘other’ Rachel: Romance rumours heat up
The buzz around Kolisi and Rachel John has intensified since they were spotted courtside at the ATP Tour finals between Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime in Turin, Italy, in November.
The bubbly brunette sat next to our Captain Fantastic alongside fellow Springboks Eben Etzebeth, RG Snyman and his wife, Saskia Snyman.
Following their appearance, Rachel Kolisi unfollowed the Springbok WAG on Instagram.
‘SA looks good on you’ – Siya Kolisi on Rachel John’s return
Kolisi has once again fueled speculation with playful Instagram interactions, including a cheeky comment on one of John’s posts: “❤️🥹 SA looks good on you 🤭,” to which she replied with a heart emoji.
Who is the ‘other’ Rachel?
John, a model, author, reality star and founder of a charity supporting underprivileged children through surfing, spend Christmas with her family and friends Amsterdam.
On 27 December, the surfing philanthropist took to Instagram to announce her upcoming trip to Mzansi, where she will celebrate her birthday on New Year’s Eve.
In her Instagram stories, she shared, “Celebrated my birthday with my friends today. My birthday is in 4 days, but I’m flying back to celebrate it there.”
