Siya Kolisi, the captain of the Springboks, returned to Cape Town, where he took his first professional steps in 2012.
This turnaround follows a series of significant events: the player decided to terminate his contract with Racing 92, barely a year after his arrival in France at the end of the World Cup, preferring to return to his franchise original, the Durban Sharks.
At the end of October, another clap of thunder shook the situation. Kolisi and his wife Rachel announced their divorce, a separation that made headlines in the South African media.
The Kolisi couple, symbolic in South Africa because of their interracial union, embodied a model in a country still marked by the scars of apartheid.
Their 2016 wedding, broadcast on public television, captured the hearts of the nation, with many calling the couple “Siya and Rachel”, mirroring British adulation for “William and Kate”.
It was after this separation that Kolisi expressed his desire to leave Durban to be closer to his children, now living in Cape Town with their mother.
This news took the Sharks by surprise, and the team’s coach, John Plumtree, admitted his surprise after their defeat against the Stormers (24-20). “It’s a shock to me,” he admitted, before adding: “We will deal with it, but not right now.” »
-In Durban, the news caused shock waves. At the Crusaders clubhouse, local supporters confide their total admiration for Siya Kolisi, emblematic figure of South African rugby and double world champion.
“For our children, Siya is a hero,” said Selwin, a loyal supporter, while watching his son train. “He comes from a township in Port Elizabeth, and his journey embodies the dream of our country. It unites us. »
However, Kolisi’s departure is no small matter. The Sharks, who bought out the last two years of his contract with Racing 92, risk asking for substantial compensation.
The Stormers, although interested in his return, have not yet taken official steps. “We haven’t approached Siya,” said Stormers coach John Dobson. “We have a very good relationship with the Sharks. » It is therefore the negotiations between Kolisi and his current club which will determine the future of the affair.
Dobson, while maintaining a certain optimism, did not hide his interest: “When an agreement is reached, we will examine the possibilities, but that is another story. »
To be continued…
