Kolisi is the bold face of transformation

It should have surprised no one that Springbok rugby captain Siya Kolisi was chosen the country’s Player of the Year for 2021.

Not only has he led from the front, but he is the only player to have taken part in all 13 Tests last year. Last year was proof positive that Kolisi is much more than a great, inspiring, captain… he is one of the finest players this country has produced.

The story of his rise from poverty to global sporting stardom has been told many times before – but it should not be forgotten, because it is a reminder that many of our people live in such conditions; conditions which have buried – and continue to bury – countless sporting talents.

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The Siya story is not just a triumph over circumstances, but one of victory over the naysayers and doubters, who accused him and others of being nothing more than “quota players”.

The unspoken part of this is the deeply held belief that only white men should be playing the game and
representing this country. As a Twitter commentator put it this week, though, Kolisi has been winning over the haters, one by one and one game at a time.

South African sport is transforming… and for the better.