“An Absolute Legend”: Siya Kolisi Praised for Backing Women’s Boks Ahead of Quarter-Final
- Springboks captain Siya Kolisi shared a heartfelt message backing the women’s team ahead of their World Cup quarter-final
- The Women’s Boks have already made history by reaching the knockout stages for the first time
- Fans rallied behind Kolisi’s gesture, praising his leadership and showing support for the team online
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi has shared a heartfelt message with the South African women’s rugby team as they prepare for their historic Rugby World Cup quarter-final against defending champions New Zealand at Sandy Park in Exeter on Saturday, 13 September 2025.
Source: Getty Images
Kolisi, who will also lead the men’s team against the All Blacks in Wellington on the same day, praised the women’s side for their achievements and offered words of encouragement.
“They are playing against a strong team that has been dominating. It’s gonna be a great game. I hope the people in South Africa can support them. All the best to them in the quarter-finals,” Kolisi said.
A historic moment for the Women’s Boks
The South African women’s team has already made history by advancing to the knockout stages for the first time.
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They now face the daunting task of upsetting the six-time champions, the Black Ferns. New Zealand come into the clash on the back of a commanding 40-0 win over Ireland, while South Africa suffered a 57-10 defeat against France in their final pool match.
Source: Getty Images
South Africa’s coach, Swys de Bruin, urged his players to embrace the occasion, calling it “the biggest game of your life.”
“They have won the World Cup six times already. We did not even enter the qualification play-offs in 2017 and lost all our matches in 2022. That is how far behind we are against them,” de Bruin admitted.
Their passing ability and accuracy are amazing, and one can see they have played this game from a young age. That is not the case with us but that said, we have improved so much, and few teams will beat our heart and guts.”
Take a look below at Siya Kolisi's message to the women Boks:
Fans react to Kolisi’s gesture
Kolisi’s message sparked a wave of support on social media, with fans rallying behind the women’s team and praising the Springbok skipper’s leadership.
@thewordistheway2024:
“Showing what it means to be a real fan of our lady Boks, we are behind them.”
@TheDistincctt:
“Class is permanent.”
@MarleyPurple:
“Ohhh Siya!!!!!”
@j3nn4D:
“An absolute legend. I will never forget Maisie meeting him and her saying how humble he was. He’s a true legend! Utmost respect to him!!!”
@OlsonSaman39346:
“Can’t wait to witness the epic showdown between the Black Ferns and @WomenBoks!
Kick off and where to watch
With the odds stacked against them, the Women’s Boks are fully aware of the challenge that lies ahead.
But with history already made and the backing of fans and leaders like Siya Kolisi, the team will step onto the pitch at Sandy Park inspired to give their all against the tournament’s most successful side.
The match will kick off at 2pm and will be live on Supersport Women's channel.
Malcolm Marx takes responsibility as Springboks struggle with lineouts
Briefly News previously reported South African hooker Malcolm Marx openly acknowledged that the Springboks need to improve their lineout performance in the Rugby Championship.
The No. 2 scored a try in last Saturday’s narrow 24-17 defeat to the All Blacks in Auckland, but the Boks’ set-piece issues continued to haunt them.
Source: Briefly News
