Three Teams One Dream

2019 is a massive year for South African sport with the big three – Bafana Bafana, the Proteas, and the Springboks – going in search of on-field glory.

- Grant Shub

The latter two teams are chasing global domination, while the former will be out to annex the AFCON trophy for the first time since 1996.

It’s special witnessing Bafana Bafana captain Thulani Hlatshwayo and his Springbok counterpart Siya Kolisi meeting for the first time. Both men, who earned their international debuts in 2013, have the weight of expectation on their broad shoulders as they attempt to lead their respective sides to victory. However, they are in a relaxed mood on location in Cape Town and, before the photo shoot, the national captains converse on a black leather sofa. The men could be mistaken for twins; their hairstyles and beards are alike and an array of tattoos adorn their muscular bodies.

‘I remember my first shoot and interview with GQ in 2012,’ Kolisi says with a smile. ‘I wasn’t a Springbok back then, and in hindsight, I’d tell my 21-year-old self to work harder and prepare more.’

Fast forward seven years and Kolisi will lead the men in green and gold at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. His journey from the streets of Zwide, a township in the Eastern Cape, to the world stage is what dreams are made of. He reveals that taking on the Springbok captaincy came with a unique set of challenges, but he is more settled in the role having matured as a player and a person.

‘The Springbok captaincy was tough in the beginning because it’s a huge responsibility. You try not to think about it too much, but you can see that the captaincy affected me when I was playing last season,’ he admits. ‘Everyone is expecting so much of you and you’re expecting so much of yourself.’