Siya Kolisi will reach his 100th Test for the Springboks on Saturday, 8 Nov, at the Stade de France, facing a team that is tough and strong.
This milestone shows how far he has come from his start in life to being a star in the world of sport. It will make him one of the top nine players in history to reach 100 caps for South Africa. His story is one of hope and will make him a hero to many in his country.
The man who leads the Springboks, now 34 years old, will join the small group of players who have made it to 100 caps for South Africa. His win comes on a day when his team faces one of its hardest games since they won the Rugby World Cup in 2023 at the same stadium.
Kolisi’s rise from a poor place in Zwide, Eastern Cape, to the world stage is one of grit and aim. His mother died when he was young, so he was raised by his grandmother. He fought hunger and pain to grow in rugby, leading the Springboks to two World Cup wins.
From Zwide to the big stage, Kolisi’s story is one of fight, hope, and coming together. Outside of rugby, he has taken on the role of father, husband, and leader in his community. He has taken his half-siblings as his own and fights for social change through the Kolisi Foundation. His life is one of strength and will.
Kolisi said he owes his win to his guides, like coach Eric Songwiqi and teacher Andrew Hayidakis, and to Vincent Mai, a former Grey High School student who gave him a scholarship to go to the school.
“I don’t shy away from where I have come from and I’m aware that my story is a typical South African story in some ways. It’s my motivation,” Kolisi said in a past talk.
Mai, in a talk with Daily Maverick, praised Kolisi’s fight and humility, saying his win came from “You must salute Siya’s remarkable perseverance. His ethic of hard work and trying his best at all times underlines his strengths. If you earn 100 Test caps it means you’ve operated at a level of supreme excellence for a long time. It all stems from hard work and it’s all Siya – I find it breathtaking.”
His lead started at the Stormers, where coach Robbie Fleck saw that he could bring players together. By 2018, Kolisi made history as the first black man to lead the Springboks, earning the world’s respect for being real and full of feeling.
On Saturday, Kolisi will walk onto the Stade de France field, where he held the Webb Ellis Cup two years ago. For his people in South Africa, it will be more than a game; it will be a story of hope, fairness, and victory that was not easy.
