South Africa's Springbok rugby captain visits Anfield

Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – South Africa’s Rugby World Cup winning captain Siya Kolisi on Wednesday night fulfilled a life-long dream when he was invited to Anfield by Premier League giants Liverpool.

A month after guiding South Africa to their third Rugby World Cup title, the country’s first black captain has been hailed around the world. Earlier this month, hundreds of thousands of jubilant South Africans lined the streets of the country’s main cities to salute the Rugby World Cup champions, who became the only team to win the coveted William Webb Ellis trophy on three continents (Africa, Europe and Asia).

There was extraordinary irony in the fact that Kolisi was born on 16 June, 1991 which is the annual anniversary of the 1976 Soweto Riots, which triggered the revolution that ended Apartheid.

For the first 90 years that the Springboks played rugby in South Africa only white players were eligible. Following the fall of Apartheid, world statesman Nelson Mandela recognised the power that the sport had to promote racial unity and he backed the Springboks in the build-up to the 1995 World Cup, which South Africa hosted and won.

Kolisi met Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp in Cape Town two weeks ago and he invited the 28-year-old forward to watch his team draw 1-1 against Napoli in a Champions League fixture.

“He is such an amazing human being, and I understand why the boys play so hard for him," said Kolisi, when asked of his meeting with Klopp. He added that Klopp told him he had watched the World Cup final in Tokyo when South Africa thrashed England 32-12.

–0– PANA CU/MA 28Nov2019