‘I knew I wanted to come home,’ says Kolisi after stint in France

Siya Kolisi was homesick and missed many things in South Africa, like the braai as his recovery meal after a tough rugby battle the previous day.

Then there was the other big ambition of still being available for the Springboks and leading this side for as long as he can still perform at the top level.

That made deciding to return to South Africa a bit easier for the Bok skipper, who says he enjoyed his time in France, but ultimately home is where the heart is.

“South Africa is South Africa. I miss waking up after a tough game, you know when I played here in Cape Town, I would go and get some meat with Scarra (Ntubeni, Springbok hooker), that was our recovery thing,” Kolisi said after being unveiled as one of petrol giant Engen’s four Springbok ambassadors.

Kolisi, lock Eben Etzebeth, winger Cheslin Kolbe and former Springbok prop and World Cup winner Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira joined forces with Engen to spread the rugby gospel.

“There are so many things (that brought him back). What I played for, I am big on purpose and I work with the (Kolisi) foundation and here at home I can see, read and hear what I am working towards and what is going on in a country.

World Cup winners Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Cheslin Kolbe and Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira announced as Engen Ambassadors this afternoon in Cape Town #Springboks pic.twitter.com/itRo0tvhbv

— Leighton Koopman (@Leighton_K) September 9, 2024

“When I returned after the season in France, I knew I wanted to come home. It’s not just about how I am feeling but (I am returning) for rugby reasons, too. I play for the Springboks and when the domestic season in France stops, I go straight into internationals, so I never get a break.

“When they start in France, then I miss a couple of games because I am still on national duty. So, it is not fair to the club and to my body. There is no way I would’ve been able to keep up.”

Fresh off winning the Freedom Cup against New Zealand and claiming it for the first time since 2009, Kolisi is ready to kick on with the Boks.

He is part of head coach Rassie Erasmus’ 28-man squad travelling to Argentina for the final leg of the Rugby Championship. The world champions are still unbeaten in the southern hemisphere competition, and if they can bag a win in Santiago del Estero they will become the champions, adding the trophy to the World Cup, Freedom Cup and Nelson Mandela Challenge Trophy they already claimed.

“We really wanted to win the Freedom Cup, this was like a final to us. We said to each other this is how we are treating this game.

“Not saying it’s the final of the Championship. We still have a job to do and we saw what Argentina did to Australia. They can still win it.

“But to win the Freedom Cup, that was a great feeling. We had only seen it in pictures and we are happy as a group we could finally achieve it.

“Now it’s the Rugby Championship. I’ve never won one, a full or short one (during World Cup years). We want to win that but also keep them in South Africa.”

Springbok squad for Argentina tour

Props: Thomas du Toit, Vincent Koch, Ox Nche, Gerhard Steenekamp; Hookers: Johan Grobbelaar, Malcolm Marx; Locks: Eben Etzebeth, Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, Salmaan Moerat, Ruan Nortje; Loose-forwards: Ben-Jason Dixon, Siya Kolisi, Elrigh Louw, Kwagga Smith, Marco van Staden, Jasper Wiese; Utility forward: Jan-Hendrik Wessels; Scrumhalves: Jaden Hendrikse, Cobus Reinach, Grant Williams; Flyhalves: Manie Libbok, Handre Pollard; Centres: Lukhanyo Am, Jesse Kriel; Outside backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Aphelele Fassi, Makazole Mapimpi; Utility back: Canan Moodie