South Africa's flanker Siya Kolisi takes a selfie with supporters after South Africa won the Rugby Championship Test match between South Africa and New Zealand at the Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg Springbok skipper Siya Kolisi has been showered in praise by John Smit in the latest episode of SuperSport’s What Goes On Tour. Picture: Phill Magakoe/AFP
From one Rugby World Cup winning Springbok captain to another, John Smit has showered the praise on Siya Kolisi.
Smit as the 2007 Rugby World Cup champion skipper has hailed the influence Kolisi has had on Springbok rugby.
Kolisi led the Springboks to the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup titles, and as the first black captain of the nation his influence cannot be understated.
The Springboks of course also won the Rugby Championship earlier this year in fine style, with Kolisi firmly at the helm of Rassie Erasmus’s side.
The Boks then went on to win all three matches of their overseas November tour with victories over Scotland, England and Wales.
Smit was speaking on SuperSport’s What Goes On Tour: Episode 8 when he spoke glowingly about the 33-year-old.
“I think Siya was always going to be extremely successful. He's taken every single chance he's ever been given.
“And I think what makes you proud of him as our captain is how he embraces people, he embraces South Africa, plays his hear-out every single weekend, and always has time [for everyone],” said the 46-year-old Smit.
“[He is] The last guy to leave the stadium, take pictures, maybe exposes his jocks a little bit for the fans.
“But he's just lovable, it's hard to dislike Siya. And I think it's because he fights for us, and for his team every single weekend.
“And he does it in a manner that I think people love. And that's really what I think is the difference between Siya and any other guy is how much he's embraced that actual role, how much he's learned, he's become better at media, he's become better at people, but he just gets better and better every year.”