Kolisi: I watched the 2007 final from a tavern

Siya Kolisi is acutely aware of how important the Springboks’ march to the Rugby World Cup final is, not only for the growth of the game, but also providing an injection of good news in an ocean of negative developments.

The Bok captain regaled a humbling experience during South Africa’s 2007 triumph in France, where – as a 16-year-old – he walked to a tavern on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth to catch the action.

“I was actually watching in a tavern because I didn’t have a TV at home‚” he said.

“I remember what it did for us‚ I’ve never seen people coming together over sport.”

Clearly inspired, Kolisi made a point of meeting his heroes in the aftermath of the 15-6 victory, a moment that has was captured and has now resurfaced on Twitter.

Various users have retweeted the image of the young Kolisi wiggling through various bodies to get an autograph of legendary Bok flanker Schalk Burger.

The two ended up becoming teammates at the Stormers.

Yet the lasting impression of the image is how it encapsulates the incredible journey of Kolisi, who overcame abject poverty and personal trauma, to become Bok captain, a move masterminded by national coach Rassie Erasmus.

“It means a lot to be in the team. We’ve worked really hard‚ all of us. I know the coach for a while. I was 18 years old when (Rassie) gave me my first contract.

“He just made it clear that the Springboks are the most important thing. In the past most of us tried to build ourselves through our social media accounts.

“He just got us back to earth. He had to pull us together and get our buy-in. We have to play well first and everything else will come‚” said Kolisi.

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