Read more
Too many questions: What is happening with injured Bok captain Kolisi?
All we know is the Bok skipper hurt his knee and underwent an operation, but we don't know what was repaired and for how long he is expected to be out of action.
South Africa captain Siya Kolisi underwent knee surgery last week. Picture: EPA-EFE/Nic Bothma
It has been 10 days since Springbok captain Siya Kolisi left the field with a knee injury in a URC match for the Sharks against Munster at Kings Park in Durban.
And in the time that has passed, there has been no official word on the extent of the injury the World Cup-winning captain incurred.
Also, neither SA Rugby nor the Sharks have officially stated what surgery Kolisi underwent and for how long he will be sidelined.
Questions
The whole injury incident and subsequent operation and expected recovery time has been kept very quiet, leaving the rugby world asking many questions.
The only official word on the injury suffered at Kings Park on 22 April was a short one-liner from the Sharks that said Kolisi had gone for a scan. That is it.
Not a word from the Sharks since. And SA Rugby, and the Springboks, couldn’t be quieter on the matter if they tried.
Right now, SA rugby fans don’t know what surgery Kolisi underwent last Friday and for how long he is expected to be out of action.
A rugby writer revealed that Kolisi had partially torn his anterior cruciate ligaments, and had also injured his meniscus.
The word at the time of the injury and now is that surgery would rule Kolisi out of action for nine months if his ACL was to be repaired. To fix the meniscus would leave him sidelined for four months … all these operations putting Kolisi’s World Cup participation in doubt. The tournament starts in early September.
So what was it that was repaired last Friday? Is Kolisi really in a race to be fit, or is it all over for the World Cup?
Social media posts
Kolisi himself finally said something after the operation; this though only after his wife, Rachel, had confirmed to the media that her husband was having surgery last Friday.
“Op went well, the hard work starts now. Thanks for all the prayers, messages and support,” said the skipper in an Instagram post with a picture of his family.
Rachel thanked fans for their support in a later Instagram post, while Siya, singing a Linkin Park song in the car on the way home from the hospital, posted: “The painkillers were on full blast for me.”
It’s time now that SA Rugby levelled with Bok fans — what was fixed and for how long will Kolisi be out of action?
