In the world of sports, some stories transcend the boundaries of the game and become symbolic of something greater. Siya Kolisi’s journey from an adverse upbringing to becoming captain of a World Cup-winning South African rugby team, the Springboks, is one such story.
Kolisi made history as the first black captain of the Springboks in a country where, because of apartheid and separate development, the professional sport was once an all-white affair. Rugby was firmly associated with white national pride, and now a black man from a humble background has become a national hero, reshaping the sport’s image.