South Africa win the 2023 Rugby World Cup
South Africa captain Siya Kolisi’s full-time reaction to the Springboks winning the Rugby World Cup perfectly highlighted why he is considered one of the sport’s greatest leaders. A hard-fought final went into the last few seconds as New Zealand pushed but the 14 men were unable to get the necessary score to prevent South Africa’s 12-11 victory in Paris on Saturday.
The All Blacks had momentum after drawing to within a point and the numbers were evened up when Cheslin Kolbe was given a yellow card by referee Wayne Barnes. The winger could barely watch the final 10 minutes from the sideline as he covered his face with his shirt and clearly was struggling to handle the gravity of the situation.
But the Springboks were able to hold onto their lead and ensured that they would be crowned World Cup winners for a record fourth time, with many players falling to their knees and celebrating in joyous scenes. However, skipper Kolisi took a different approach and immediately after hearing the full-time whistle, he sprinted over to the touchline.
His attention was on Kolbe who had gone from despair to jubilation. And Kolisi sprinted over to the sin-binned winger and gave him a big hug as he reassured his team-mate that he did not let the Springboks down. Their embrace spoke volumes of Kolisi’s leadership, having immediately thought of the one player who may have had some mixed feelings at the end of the final.
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Kolisi has been the perfect ambassador for South African rugby throughout the World Cup and led by example on and off the field. The 32-year-old flanker could be seen regularly belting out the national anthem before matches with such passion that his pride was infectious, once again showcasing that his leadership credentials cannot be questioned.
When asked how his team managed to hold on and claim victory over New Zealand, Kolisi said: “We had to. We lost our hooker [Bongi Mbonambi] in the early part of the game and we had to adjust to that. They put a lot of pressure on our lineouts but somehow we found a way.
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First thing Siya does after the game is run to comfort Kolbe on the sideline. He’s one word. Leader.
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“People who are not from South Africa don’t understand what it means for our country. It is not just about the game. Our country goes through such a lot.
“We are just grateful that we can be here. I want to tell the people of South Africa: ‘Thank you so much’.
“This team just shows what you can do. As soon as we work together, all is possible, no matter in what sphere – in the field, in offices, it shows what we can do. I am grateful for this team, I am so proud of it.”
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