Sport
Distinguished
Siya Kolisi
born 1991
First black Springbok captain, and a Rugby World Cup winner
Distinguished is level 3 of 4 in the South Africa Hall of Fame: sustained excellence over a career, widely honoured at home. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
He became the first black player to captain the Springboks in the team's 126-year history, and led South Africa to the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Kolisi was given the captaincy in 2018 when Rassie Erasmus took over as coach, the first black player to lead the Springboks in a Test match. In 2019 he lifted South Africa's third Rugby World Cup.
The symbolism was not incidental. Rugby had been the sport of the apartheid state, and the Springbok jersey among its most contested emblems.
The symbolism was not incidental. Rugby had been the sport of the apartheid state, and the Springbok jersey among its most contested emblems.
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