Siya Kolisi: Against All Odds

by Jeremy Daniel

When Siya Kolisi leads the Springboks out onto the field at the Rugby World Cup in September 2019, it will be the crowning glory of an incredible journey that began on the impoverished streets of Zwide, a township outside Port Elizabeth. As the first black South African to captain a Springbok rugby team, Kolisi’s remarkable story is unique and deserves to be heard.

His mother was a teenager when he was born. She left him in the care of his grandmother who brought him up until she died (in his arms) when Siya was twelve. He found love and acceptance playing junior rugby with the African Bombers club until his talent was spotted by the prestigious Grey High School who offered Siya a full scholarship that changed his life.

He adapted well to the posh private school, but it was on the rugby field where he excelled. Siya was rewarded with a call-up the SA schools team and a contract to join the Western Province rugby union.

Author Jeremy Daniel tracks Siya’s journey from running wild on the streets of Zwide, through some crucial games in high school, into the Western Province rugby set-up and his fight to become Springbok captain. He goes deep inside the systems that identify junior talent, the characters who shaped his journey and the moments where he showed who he really was. Siya never forgot where he came from, and ultimately adopted his mother’s other two children after she died when he was in high school.

His life has not been without controversy, and his marriage to a fiery young white woman was a lightning rod for racial politics. But he is a shining beacon of hope for South Africa, he is massively popular and there is a huge appetite from the public to know about his life and to support him as Springbok captain.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 11, 2019

Reviews

[Prudence Muriuki · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book about hope, passion and determination. It tracks back the humble beginnings of a great sportsman. The author writes based on interviews with people who have known Siya it is thus written from the author’s point of view. It also goes into too much details describing the rugby match after rugby match which may not be appreciated by non rugby lovers.

[Wian · Rating 1 out of 5]

All fiction!! If you do just 2 seconds of research you will see that he dit not even grow up in the time of apartheid!!!!!!! Now he says it was the hardes of times for him??? What a joke! Stop using the past, that you were not aport of to make money, and or to make people feel sorry for you! You famous and a good rugby player why would you want to tell lies and go this low!??!?

[Ed Stoddard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up in February and was a bit disappointed to realise it did not include the 2019 Rugby World Cup which South Africa of course won under Kolisi's captaincy. That is a minor quibble and the book has largely succeeded in filling in the many gaps of this reviewer's knowledge about the incredible and inspiring life of the first black Springbok captain. Growing up in a grim township outside of Port Elizabeth in South Africa's Eastern Cape province, Kolisi was thrown a lifeline by rugby - a sport with a long and venerable tradition among the Xhosas of the Eastern Cape. A rugby scholarship to the prestigious Grey High School was a life-changing event for the adolescent Kolisi. Underscoring the depths of his family's poverty, it was the first time in his life that he ever wore socks! From a young age, Kolisi mostly had to look out for himself, but when offered a golden opportunity he seized it. The crowing achievement came late last year when he held aloft the Ruby World Cup, the first black Springbok captain to do so. Kolisi is a true leader, a man who has known grinding hardship but has never displayed any bitterness about it. Instead, he displays bravery on the field, empathy off of it, and steely commitment to training. Anyone who has heard him speak will know that this is a wonderful human being who will hopefully lead the Springboks to more glory. South Africa could use more uplifting stories like his.

[Marion Roux · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reinforced my opinion that Siya is a special person and deserves all the accolades and respect that comes his way.
However, as much as I enjoy watching a game of rugby, I found reading about every match that he was associated with ( he didn't actually get to play in all of those in this book), and in absolute detail, rather over the top eg. " Just after the break, Faf de Klerk cleaned up out of a ruck, and the ball went to Steven Kitshoff, then to Pollard, then to Willie le Roux, who was playing his 50th Test for the Boks. Le Roux beat his mark and made a good 25 metres before being brought down. He was isolated but held on until Francois Louw arrived and offloaded to the line. There was another great line charge from the Boks, and this time Jesse Kriel burst through the line, put his head down, and charged for the line to score the Boks' first try of the night." Really?

[Gillian Nicholson · Rating 3 out of 5]

🇿🇦 A proudly South African feel good story, made even better, as Siya Kolisi and his team went on to win the World Cup 2019 after this biography was completed.
The rugby match descriptions are understandably fairly detailed ( great for you, Barry) but this does not detract from the story of Siya
I like to think that there are many versions of mentoring and upliftment in our country, but no doubt Siya Kolisi is one of our finest protégés 🏉

[Max Pinkerton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Closer to a fiction story than a proper biography. Any good rugby fan would know half of what's been "researched" while the author is romanticising every other aspect he chose not to research. It's a half cooked book.

[Pedro Paes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting read about a person that can be considered part of humanities great triumphs and an inspiration to all what can be achieved.

[Pamela Alema · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was written without Siya’s consent and he doesn’t benefit from it. Do not buy it! Siya’s book written by him is coming soon.

[Max De Bassompierre]

It was a great book about siya kolisi's life and about apparteit

[Rhea Morar · Rating 4 out of 5]

An view of the Springbok captain that delves into the heart of the man with anecdotal stories from those who watched him transform his life.

[Elite Group · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some people are born to greatness, Siya Kolisi is one such man.

I love rugby and I especially love the World Cup series and also the Six Nations. This year, the World Cup took on a far more special meaning for me as I watched the South African Springboks being led onto the field by Siya Kolisi. Who would ever have dreamt that such an event could take place in a country where rugby was the game of the white, often only Afrikaans players? Yes, of course, it was played by white English-speaking people, but somehow over the years, they were the minority in the Springboks. Now, rugby is the Rainbow Nation’s game. People of colour, language and different backgrounds emerged in 2019 as the best team in the world led by their captain, Siya Kolisi, who thanks to someone spotting this young underfed, little boy playing with a passion seldom seen, while living in a poverty-stricken township on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth.

Jeremy Daniel has written one of the best biographies I’ve ever read by relating Siya’s rise from living with his grandmother, often going to bed starving, rising to the heights of not only the Springboks captain but a truly brilliant rugby player as well. I was glued to this book which takes the reader from his early days to attending boarding school first at Grey Junior School, then High School (thanks to a scholarship) and his drive to create a future for himself, via the rugby field.

What we learn from this book is that Siya Kolisi is genuinely a man who was born to lead, to succeed against all the obstructions put in his path, reach a position which very few people on earth get to – leading a team of rugby players to win the biggest competition in the sport – the World Cup. His story will become a legend and will be told to future generations as one of the most astonishing achievements in South Africa’s rugby history.

The Springboks win against England united a nation so fractured by corruption and crime to see their country achieve something no one dreamt of – winning the world cup. Siya Kolisi is truly a man in a million – born to succeed against all odds.

Treebeard

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is remarkable and based on what Kolisi has achieved, a definite 10. The book however shys away from the detail, rather focusing on a macro overview of his life. This will certainly be appreciated by many and makes it easy for people of all ages to enjoy. I, however, am a sicker for the deets :)