Siya Kolisi - Winning the Rugby World Cup in 2023 was bigger than in 2019 | The Big Jim Show

Summary

Siya Kolisi reflects on winning the Rugby World Cup again in 2023, saying this victory was for the people of South Africa during a time of struggle. He discusses the team's mindset of playing for the country, not themselves, to inspire hope. He credits head coach Rassie Erasmus for believing in him from the start, pushing the team to transform and represent all of South Africa, and keeping the players humble and united. Kolisi emphasizes the Springboks overcame challenges by having honest conversations, not taking critiques personally, and putting the team above individual egos.

Takeaways

• 😊 Siya feels immense pride and joy in winning the Rugby World Cup for the people of South Africa
• 👨‍👦‍👦 The Springboks see themselves as representatives of the hopes and struggles of all South Africans
• 🌍 Winning the World Cup was about inspiring hope and possibility in a country facing many challenges
• 🙏 Siya credits coach Rassie with believing in him and shaping the team's mindset and purpose
• 🤝 Rassie pushed the team on inclusion and representing the diversity of South Africa
• 😤 The team holds each other accountable to stay grounded and not get 'big-headed'
• 🤔 Siya reflects on his difficult upbringing and wild youth before Rassie helped him mature
• ⚖️ Rassie got Siya out of an underage contract and gave him a chance to realize his potential
• 👫 Rassie and the team remind Siya where he came from to re-ground him when needed
• 🧠 Open and honest conversations strengthen the Springboks without anyone taking critique personally

Q & A

What did it feel like for Siya Kolisi and the team when they returned to South Africa after winning the World Cup?

Kolisi said it was unbelievable and like nothing he had experienced before. The reception from the South African people was incredible and really showed what it meant to them.

Why did Kolisi and the other players feel this World Cup win was especially for the people of South Africa?

Because South Africa has many struggles like lack of electricity, poverty, hunger and people feeling hopeless. The team wanted to inspire South Africans and give them something to feel proud of and hang onto even with all the challenges.

How does Kolisi try to help kids from similar backgrounds as him?

He sees his role now as creating opportunities for kids from backgrounds like his, so they don't suffer as much as he did. He wants to show them that even with challenges, achieving their dreams is possible.

What does Kolisi say about coach Rassie Erasmus's impact on him and the team?

Kolisi credits Erasmus with backing him from the start, holding him accountable, putting the right systems in place, talking openly about transformation, and reminding the players not to forget the struggles many South Africans face in their daily lives.

How does the Springboks team help players avoid getting too arrogant or 'big-headed'?

The teammates call each other out if someone starts acting too arrogant. There is a culture of honest conversations where no one takes critique personally, so they can give each other constructive feedback.

How does Kolisi react when he gets substituted early in a game?

He says he doesn't like it but understands it's for the good of the team. Other players make a bigger impact so he accepts Erasmus's decision even if it's disappointing personally.

What makes this Springboks team able to have such open and honest conversations?

The trust they have built between one another and the understanding that any critique is not meant personally but to make the team stronger.

Why was transformation an important theme emphasized by Erasmus with this World Cup team?

To better represent the diversity of South Africa compared to teams of the past before apartheid ended. Erasmus made transformation a priority through opportunities given to players of different backgrounds.

How did Erasmus help turn Kolisi's life around earlier in his career?

Kolisi was struggling with off-field problems as a young player. Rather than give up on him, Erasmus provided support through getting lawyers to resolve contract issues and giving Kolisi opportunities to improve his dedication and lifestyle.

What gives Kolisi and other players motivation when they feel like giving up?

Remembering children from their communities who look up to them and need inspiration. Visualizing making a positive impact on the next generation keeps them motivated.

Outlines

00:00

🏆 Winning the World Cup for South Africa

Paragraph 1 describes Siya's feelings after winning the World Cup. He was happy to win but wanted to get home to South Africa quickly. The homecoming was massive, bigger than after the 2019 win, because this time it felt like they won it for the people of South Africa. Siya discusses how it was for them and not just for themselves, to inspire South Africans facing difficulties like lack of electricity and poverty.

05:02

👨‍🏫 Coach Rassie's influence and leadership

Paragraph 2 highlights coach Rassie's role and influence. Rassie gave Siya opportunities from the start and made him captain when he returned. He held Siya accountable, backed him, and put good systems in place. He emphasized transformation and creating a diverse, representative Springboks team. He reminds the players to think of the less fortunate people in South Africa when they lose motivation.

Keywords

💡Transformation

Transformation refers to the process of changing the racial demographics of the South African rugby team to better represent the diversity of the country. The coach emphasizes it as an important goal, saying they need to transform the team and give more opportunities to non-white players compared to the past. This relates to addressing racial inequality in sport and broader society.

💡Inspiration

The players see themselves as inspirational figures, especially for disadvantaged youth. By winning and sharing their life stories, they aim to inspire hope and show that success is possible despite challenging backgrounds. Siya says he wants his story to let kids know 'it's possible no matter how the situations look right now.'

💡Sacrifice

The team has sacrificed individual egos and interests for the greater good of the team and country. Siya gives the example of being substituted early in matches, which he accepts because it helps the team win even if he doesn't like it personally.

💡Accountability

The coach holds the players accountable for their actions on and off the field to maintain discipline and good behavior. Siya reminisces about coming to training drunk early in his career but the coach persisting with him and keeping him accountable rather than giving up.

💡Unity

The team is united behind a common purpose despite differences. Their unity and camaraderie allows them to give each other frank feedback to avoid big egos. Siya notes how teammates ground each other and no one takes criticisms too personally.

💡Humility

Despite being World Cup winners, the team remains humble and grounded. Siya says after winning, they just wanted to get home as soon as possible rather than bask in glory. He emphasizes remembering your roots and origins.

💡Hope

The World Cup wins have restored hope and pride amongst South Africans during difficult times. Siya notes how much of the population faces depression, poverty, lack of food and electricity, so rugby success gives them something hopeful to feel good about.

💡Leadership

The coach Rassie and captain Siya exhibit leadership by taking responsibility, inspiring others, maintaining discipline, empowering teammates and guiding the team for the greater good rather than personal interests.

💡Diversity

The team recognizes that representing the diversity of South Africa is important. The past teams did not reflect the country's demographics but they are trying to pick players of different backgrounds to gain broader support.

💡Resilience

Many of the players have overcome challenging childhoods and adversity to achieve World Cup success. Their stories exemplify resilience in the face of hardship through focus and determination.

Highlights

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Transcripts

what are your Reflections now here after

the World Cup how you feeling about it

all have you managed to get back to a

bit of reality or you still on cloud

night no BR I I for me going back home

um like it's the same as when we in

Japan you know we were happy we won but

we knew like we just wanted to get back

home as soon as possible and like now

when we went after the World Cup bro I I

if you're not from South Africa you'll

never understand what I I don't fully

understand what it means when we went

back bro I I I could not believe like

when we came out of the F what in 2019

was big but this time ridiculous like it

was why why this time why because it did

feel this was for them this coach RI and

the group and the coaching stuff said we

have done it for ourselves we have won

it in 2019 when people didn't expect us

to win it and now this time we said this

is for the people of South Africa this

is not about us this is not about we

want to win it uh for them because our

country like you you know like there's

no electricity half of the time you know

there's low chairing people are

depressed there's no food people are

hungry

and and like sometimes I think a lot of

people sitting there they're hopeless

but like they they losing hope and we

want we don't want that to happen once

people lose hope you're in trouble you

know and people that come from similar

background as us that's my role now is

for me to be that person that creates

those kind of opportunities for me to

make sure that the kid that's living in

the in the same um background as me

doesn't suffer as much as I suffered

when I was young small people that were

told that they're not big enough they're

not strong enough they can't play

they're too small and Chas and Kobe said

I'm going to win the World Cup twice

Peter St coming from a f rby family as

well the way he's just shown like the

boys in the farm areas that it's

possible you like you know you can make

it so all of us have different stories

and I think we all represent South

Africa and we wanted those story to come

out and we wanted our stories to inspire

others who have the same stories us to

be able to to know that it's possible no

matter how the situations look right now

do you chat to anyone higher up in

government in South Africa do they chat

to you do they lean on you you you saw I

don't know what what else in South

Africa is this here that people can hang

their hat on no I I I don't I don't

speak to me we we stick to we play mean

we we just play rugby and do what to do

and it's it's honestly it's not just uh

it's it's the whole team bro honestly I

without my teammates and Coach Russy

like um like people don't don't speak

enough about him and they don't get him

and like we we get him we understand

what he like for me I'll talk about me

I'll leave the other guys he was the

first guy who gave me a contract I was

signed to another team he got me a

lawyer he got me out of my contract cuz

I signed underage without my parents

there then I went to the to to Western

Province uh when I was young I like I

drank a lot I I was like a a young boy

who was just living wild as if I was

going to sign them and I was just

naughty and he there's so many

opportunities he could have given up on

me where I came to training uh drunk I

came to training late or or something

had happened like probably 6 I remember

his last talk with me before he went to

monster he sat me down me and my and my

and one of my best friend Cara he played

for the stor he just played his 100th

game against the uh against the Sharks

he he says like listen boys you have a

talent that can change your your the

your life and your family's life and

many other people it's either you going

to stuff it up or you're going to

actually realize that okay and take this

seriously and then he left that's his

last memory came back coach spro he made

me Captain when he came back and I was

like don't you remember our last uh

conversation you know and he he just

backed me from the beginning he backed

me and he even making me Captain he um

always kept me accountable and he always

like he knew I was he knows the type of

person I am he made a system that would

make work he put other people in in in

leadership role so that I didn't have to

take everything upon me he started like

he started talking about the country

like how things were in the past how

transformation is important and he's

going to we have to win we have to

transform we have to create Squad depth

he started speaking about transformation

where in the past it was like a a hidden

thing he's up front to the players South

Africa the spring walks were different

in the olden days and we're going to

give opportunities to people to try and

make this team look like a South African

team more diverse you know and he pushed

because I mean he reminds us sometimes

like he's like you don't know like when

we complain when we I don't know when

when when we like lose motivation you

like remember what the people are going

on at your country you are the one like

the one% you're doing what you love yes

you were you went through that don't

forget where you come from and don't

forget what like he knows me he always

tells me like listen think about that

boy the young Seer that's out there

think about him when you want to give up

you know when you want to and it's

always accountable when I get bigheaded

like he calls it too and my teammates

too which is great that's what's great

about our team that if you become too

big like in your head they hey come back

who who goes big in the head I do

sometimes too I do sometimes too and

then you you have moments where you

think you've arrived if you've done have

a good game or you've done something

great or you met like a famous person

that recognize then you feel super cool

and then like my M like hey come back

down come back down and the team is and

that's been good that's why

like when guys get subbed I get subbed

at 4 at 45 minutes sometimes and I know

why I know why I'm because I'm not as

effective as I am and then quaka and

them come in they change the they win

the game you know and I'm comfortable

with doesn't mean I like it but I'm

comfortable enough to know that the team

is more important I think that's what

set the that was the difference between

us and most team where some players will

be pissed off like kep or even get subed

early you know and and you know and yeah

we've had hard hard conversations as a

group that's what I really enjoy when we

have honest and and and and serious

conversation

nobody like you you don't take it to you

get hurt but you don't take it to hard

you move on the next

day