Siya Kolisi Admits He Struggled With Alcohol Abuse Before the Rugby World Cup

• Springboks captain Siya Kolisi has opened up about a dark time in his life and how he ended up overcoming the struggle
• Kolisi had issues with alcoholism and was drinking too much leading up to the Rugby World Cup in 2019
• With the help of his wife Rachel and a kind pastor who offered him advice, Kolisi came out on top and recovered

The road to stardom is not always easy and this is the case for Springboks captain Siya Kolisi. Before he made it in his career, things were not always easy for the player and he turned to alcohol to ease the problems he was facing.

Kolisi admitted that if it wasn't for his wife Rachel and a kind pastor who offered him help, he wouldn't know where he would be. Siya Kolisi didn't have a great upbringing and this led to him hanging out with the wrong crowd. Now, he's reflecting on the past and how things have changed.

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"I drank when I was happy or sad, or dealing with something. Drinking was the only way I knew to get through this stuff," said the Springboks captain according to Rugby Pass.

Kolisi credits his wife for introducing him to a Christian mentor, Ben Schoeman, who offered the 63-test star a candid appraisal of his condition at the time. He was told upfront that he had a drinking problem and had to find a way to stop.

"I started opening up to him and we spoke deeply. He told me I needed to stop drinking. It was tough at the beginning but now I don’t miss it," he said to The Guardian.

Kolisi stated that he is now hoping to use his platform for good, with the help of Rachel, to help solve the issue of gender abuse, which he experienced as a youngster in his own home.

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Siya Kolisi gifts a young spectator a pair of his rugby boots

Briefly News previously reported that Springboks captain Siya Kolisi is once again showing how selfless he is after the victory against the All Blacks. After the game, Kolisi gifted a fan a pair of his rugby boots and it warmed the hearts of many social media users.

A social media user posted the video on Twitter and it soon went viral, with everyone swooning at how Kolisi is a good player but he also has room for being kind to the fans. They captioned the post:

"Really a wonderful act of kindness by our Bok skipper."

Source: Briefly News