Springbok captain Siya Kolisi shared some inspiring words with the future stars of South African rugby when he visited the Junior Springboks at their Saturday morning training session on the B-field of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha.
The Junior Boks returned to the training field on Saturday following their victory over Argentina in the opening round of the Under-20 Rugby Championship held in Gqeberha.
Kolisi, who hails from the Eastern Cape, is visiting his hometown and made a surprise appearance at the Junior Boks’ field session.
“It’s amazing to see the boys and good to be in Gqeberha, where people are so hungry for rugby and to see our boys play,” said Kolisi.
“I can see they and the coaches are working hard, they have a great culture, and I can see the future of our rugby is in good hands.”
Kolisi was quite amazed at the size of some of the players: “The size of these boys, it's ridiculous compared to me,” he quipped.
When asked what he said to them, Kolisi replied: “I just wished them luck and told them that, at this young age, it’s a huge privilege. They represent all of us in South Africa right now; this is their opportunity, and they must use it well. They are representing not just some people, but the whole of the country.
“They must enjoy the moment because the opportunity can be taken away just like that. I also told them to dream bigger than what is happening on the field – this is not the end for them, they want to kick on to the highest level.”
After nearly 9000 people attended the Junior Boks’ opening game on Thursday, Kolisi also had a special message for the rugby supporters in the Eastern Cape city, where the Boks will face Italy in July.
“I know I don’t have to urge the rugby supporters in Gqeberha to come and support the tournament and our boys,” said the Bok captain.
“I know they are going to attend because this province is hungry for rugby and big events. That’s why every time we come here, it’s always full, and the people come to welcome us at the airport.
“I want to say thanks in advance to the people in Gqeberha for coming out to support the boys and filling out the stadium – you can see this province can host big events, and hopefully more will come after this.”
Junior Springbok captain Riley Norton said he and his teammates were extremely excited to see the two-time Rugby World Cup winning captain take time out of his busy schedule to come and attend their morning training session.
“Seeing Siya watch the training session and then his engagement with the squad and staff afterwards was a very special moment,” said Norton. “He is our hero, and we are grateful for the inspiring words he shared with us, and we thoroughly enjoyed the special occasion.”
Tickets for all matches cost R20 and can be bought online at Webtickets or at the ticket office of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. The second round of action takes place on Tuesday, 6 May, when New Zealand take on Argentina (14h00) and South Africa face Australia (16h10).
