If in top shape, Kolisi should captain Boks to 2027 World Cup

Springboks captain Siya Kolisi is the talk of the town; his name is making waves in rugby and the political scene, a true testament to his huge stature in South Africa.

But, let’s stick to the rugby-side of things, which is where we want to discuss Kolisi for now. The towering flanker has seen his captaincy reign come into question, with Boks coach Rassie Erasmus suggesting on Tuesday he has to think about the situation because his captain plays his rugby outside South Africa.

Erasmus has stated he prefers the national team captain to be based in South Africa and Kolisi currently plays in France for Racing 92.

Another question about Kolisi is whether he’ll be around for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, as he’ll be 37.

All these question marks around the two-time World Cup winner prove that he is an important figure in local rugby, and that he is a real presence regarding rugby in this country.

Father Time for Boks vets

The reality is that Father Time is catching up with a lot of Springboks stars who have won back-to-back Rugby World Cups.

Let’s paint a picture of how old some of Kolisi’s generation will be in 2027: Pieter-Steph du Toit (36), Damian de Allende (36), Frans Malherbe (37), Eben Etzebeth (36), Bongi Mbonambi (37) and Faf de Klerk (35) are all heading into the twilight of their careers.

However, they can’t, and shouldn’t, be written off just because of their ages. These are world-class rugby players, and they have the ability to play at the highest level for a long time.

Athletes these days play until their late 30s because of the science in sport, healthy diets, conditioning and avoidance of major injuries or niggles. Springboks great Duane Vermeulen was 37 when he helped the team lift the Webb Ellis Cup in France last year.

Keep Kolisi as skipper

Vermeulen credits Irish side Ulster for how they managed and conditioned him, ensuring he peaked at the World Cup. Kolisi and Co making it to the 2027 World Cup will depend on the efforts put in by their respective unions and clubs.

Sure, the Springboks will consider the rebuilding project and coach Rassie Erasmus must look to the future but the elder statesmen of the Boks deserve to be given a fair chance.

Concerning Kolisi’s captaincy, it would be a mistake to take it away from him solely because he is playing in France, let him rather relinquish it, if that is what is best for the team.