Siya Kolisi is a certainty to miss the Rugby Championship, however, the Springbok skipper said he thinks he’ll be ready when their Rugby World Cup title defence begins in France in September.
Springbok director of rugby Rassie Erasmus, Springbok captain, Siya Kolisi, and Springbok head coach, Jacques Nienaber, at a media briefing in Pretoria on 20 June 2023. Picture: @Springboks/Twitter
JOHANNESBURG – Springbok captain Siya Kolisi has allayed concerns about his fitness as he recovers from his knee surgery ahead of this year’s Rugby World Cup.
The 32-year-old injured his knee in the Sharks’ last home game of the season in the United Rugby Championship (URC) against Munster in April and there were initial fears that he would miss the showpiece tournament.
Kolisi is a certainty to miss the Rugby Championship, which begins on 8 July when the world champions host Australia at Loftus Versfeld. However, the skipper said he thinks he’ll be ready when their Rugby World Cup title defence begins in France in September.
“I’m feeling good. Rehab is going well and I’m working hard and it’s great to be working in the team environment. It helps a lot with my mental side as well, just to see the work that’s happening. I think if I wasn’t here, I would actually miss out on a lot that the group is doing,” Kolisi said.
There’s a sense of déjà vu as Kolisi’s World Cup preparation this year mirrors his 2019 year when fought to be fit in time for the previous tournament in Japan when he sustained a knee injury then as well. The flanker said that he has drawn on his own past experiences with knee injuries as well as his teammates for advice as he continues his rehabilitation.
“It’s really good to do the rehab here [Bok training camp in Pretoria], because I’ve got guys like RG, Handre and Pieter-Steph, who I’ve been speaking a lot to, as they’ve done knees as well. The nice thing is that I’ve been here before, I’ve been through this, so I know just to take it day by day. But I’m feeling good and confident that I’ll be fine,” said Kolisi.
Bok coach Jacques Nienaber has previously stated that Kolisi would be given every opportunity to prove his fitness after the surgery and would be given up until the eve of the World Cup to do so. Kolisi shared that he has felt fully supported by the entire coaching and support staff as well as his teammates through the process.
“It’s not nice to be in this position but with both Coach Jacques and Rassie, it’s been good to feel backed and supported like this. The medical team is working really hard, along with the other guys in the team who’ve been through this, have been helping quite a lot,” Kolisi said.
The Springboks will begin their 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign against Scotland on 10 September.
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