South Africa’s World-Cup winning captain discusses losing himself in alcohol and strip clubs, seeing his mother’s face change from repeated beatings and his dream of emulating Richie McCaw
“Sometimes you don’t know how to speak,” Siya Kolisi says simply as he reveals his often hidden struggle to cope with a life that has been challenging and extreme. As a boy in the townships Kolisi endured acute hunger and witnessed terrible violence and even death.
He was a gifted rugby player, however, and a scholarship took him to one of white South Africa’s most privileged schools. After years of struggle and hard work, Kolisi became the Springboks’ first black captain in their troubled rugby history. In 2019, he led them to World Cup glory and he was venerated for his role on and off the field.