Kolisi feeling ‘really strong’ in the build-up to Rugby World Cup

Siya Kolisi believes he is “​​getting better” the older he gets as the Springbok skipper prepares to lead the world champions to glory in France later this year.

The 31-year-old was speaking to reporters on Tuesday in Cape Town, where he is one of 14 Boks completing a three-week readiness camp for the 2023 Test season.

A fresh start

Kolisi, who is previously reported to be considering retiring from international rugby after leading the Boks’ 2023 World Cup defence, also revealed how his move to the Sharks from the DHL Stormers in 2021 has reinvigorated him.

“I feel really strong, and I have been playing with the Sharks. It was great for me… It was tough to move, but when I got there, I had six weeks of training without a rugby ball – just to get me fit, because after the World Cup, I was injured very quickly and I was overweight,” the 75-Test-capped loose forward said.

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“Honestly, I wasn’t performing as well as I should be at the Stormers. It was tough for me to leave – I never thought I would’ve left the Stormers. But it helped me, and it took me a while to get my groove going.

“I feel like I am getting better the older I am getting, and it’s all due to preparation – and my body feels good too.

“So, my whole focus is just making sure that when I get back to the Sharks now, I play well and keep contributing, and I hopefully make the World Cup squad. That’s all I am focusing on now.”

“It’s been great. We had a month off, and that was good for us. I think some of us have been playing since last year January, and we ended this year January… It’s something we’ve never done before,” Kolisi added.

“SARU and the unions came to an agreement that some players can get off, and it’s been really good. But the training has been tough! We’ve enjoyed it… We’ve enjoyed the recapping – looking at where we were, what our goals were the year before, and seeing how far we’ve gone and if we’ve achieved the goals or not.”

This story first appeared on www.sarugbymag.co.za. It is republished here with permission. For the full original story click here.