Siya Kolisi: The soul of a DHL Stormer

DHL Stormers loose forward Siya Kolisi spoke to David O’Sullivan about his life both on and off the pitch.

Fresh from his home in the ramshackle Township of Zwide in the Eastern Cape, Kolisi wanted to make a big splash as a sportsman in his new primary school.

He jumped right in, and almost drowned. It was only the third time he had been in a swimming pool.

So Siya didn’t make the water polo team at Grey Junior College that day, but he did prove his willingness to give sport a try. And when he took to the rugby field, he knew straight away that he was in for the game of his life.

Living up to the early promise that earned him his scholarship, the tall and strapping Siya now shines as a loose forward for the DHL Stormers and DHL Western Province.

He made his debut as a Springbok against Scotland in 2013, and was named Man of the Match for his bold and fearless play.

From his roots in club rugby and his upbringing in one of the most poverty-stricken parts of the country, Siya is proof that sporting dreams do come true, if you work hard enough at them.

He spoke to David O’Sullivan about the thrill of the game, the joys of fatherhood, his touching reunion with the siblings he now cares for, and a life of change on and off the field.