Kolisi No.6 Shirt Brings Fresh Hope To A Troubled Land

Everybody recognises the power of the shirt, the passion and pride behind a nation’s national colours and jersey that has been handed down through the decades.

- Brendan Gallagher

But never has the number of a shirt held such significance as it does for South Africa. And of course that number is six.

Yesterday Siya Kolisi was the man filling that shirt and what an impressive captain and indeed man, the classy flanker from Port Elizabeth is. Meanwhile on the touchline South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa was, of course, decked out in a number six jersey, as were Kolisi’s children and wife.

All of this of course deliberately recalls, and takes inspiration from, the events of June 24 1995. On that day Francois Piennar – up in the stands yesterday chugging away happily at a few beers – wore six and lifted the World Cup trophy which was presented to him by President Nelson Mandela who had also chosen that day to show solidarity with his white captain and wear his shirt.

This from the man who had spent decades incarcerated by the rugby-loving white supremacists who ran South Africa back in the bad old days.

It was a ‘moment’ that modern-day South Africa cherishes and turns to in times of stress. Things still aren’t easy in that most beautiful of troubled nations, the challenges are immense, but it’s a reference point everybody can return to.

So the very fact that Kolisi– who like all South African openside flankers wears six not seven – was appointed as the first black Springboks captain last year was massive in itself, a seminal moment that gave real credence to the notion that rugby is now truly multi-racial in South African.