WATCH – Siya Kolisi congratulate Hamediehs in a special selfie-video

TOULON, FRANCE – Siya Kolisi has once again shown why he is such an inspirational captain of the Springboks.

Last Sunday Kolisi captained his country for the 50th time in a Pool B World Cup clash against Tonga at the Stade de Velodrome in Marseille.  Next Sunday the hopes of the Rainbow Nation will be on him when he leads South Africa in the last quarterfinal of the global rugby showpiece against host nation France in front of 82 000 passionate supporters.

Despite this huge task that lies ahead, it speaks volumes of his character that he still made an effort to make this selfie video for Hamediehs Rugby Club who won a promotion final in the Western Province Club Rugby league in Cape Town.

WATCH – Siya Kolisi’s message of congratulations to Hamediehs

The Friday before the game against Tonga he addressed the media in a press conference where he spoke about his remarkable journey from growing up as a youngster in Zwide in the Eastern Cape and how he managed the huge responsibility of becoming the first black Springbok captain in South African rugby history.

After the media conference, I was sitting with other journalists in the restaurant area of the Springbok hotel, in Les Sablettes, a popular holiday destination in the South of France, when Kolisi walked past.

He started a conversation where he reminisced about the first time, I met him after a Stormers training session at Newlands.

It was just over 10 years ago in 2012. He was a youngster of about 21 years who made his debut for the Stormers that season.

I was asked by my clubmates at Hamediehs Rugby club if I could persuade one of the current Springboks in the Stormer’s side to attend the club’s annual presentation the Friday evening. Because it was short notice, none of them were available.

After the training session, I was on my way out of Newlands Rugby Stadium where I bumped into Kolisi and asked him if he would be able to attend my club’s awards ceremony. Without any hesitation he agreed but said that he didn’t have anything suitable to wear for the occasion and asked if he could bring a partner.

He said his partner would be wearing a red dress. The Friday afternoon I took Siya for a haircut at the Riverside Mall in Rondebosch and dropped off a black pin striped suit for fitting.

Siya Kolisi and Aleem Salie at the Hamediehs Rugby Club annual presentation, more that 10 years ago Pic: Supplied

At the time Siya was sharing a house owned by Western Province Rugby with hooker Scarra Ntubeni. The house was situated right next to Newlands Rugby Stadium. And that is where I picked Siya and his girlfriend up that same evening.

Even though Siya was not a capped Springbok yet, it was clear from everyone’s reaction that back then he was already a popular figure and his presence at the function was highly appreciated.

Last week more than ten years later before the Tonga game, Siya – now a World Cup winning captain and rugby icon – took the time to sit down next to me and related the story to a fellow journalist from Newzroom Africa, Vaylen Kirtkey. Siya says he still remembers clearly how he was invited to a dinner by Hamediehs Rugby Club all those year ago.

I told him that Hamediehs, who plays in the Super League of the Western Province Rugby Club Rugby competition, won a final last week that was televised live on SuperSport against Van der Stel-Evergreens.

Without any prompting and for no specific reason, Siya took it upon himself to ask for my phone to take a selfie video to congratulate Hamediehs on their achievement on winning the final.

It was really not necessary for him to do that, but that simple gesture clearly shows the special human being Kolisi is.

It is his down-to-earth honesty, his humility and humble attitude in everything he does that touches not only his team-mates, but the ordinary person.

Besides being an excellent rugby player, it is these qualities that sets him apart and is what makes him such an outstanding leader of men.