South African rugby union player, Siya Kolisi’s father Ray was recently interviewed following the Springboks victory at the 2023 Rugby World Cup tournament in France.

During the interview, Ray Kolisi shared that his 32-year-old rugby star son bought him a new house last year. “He bought me a house last year in March in Bluewater Bay, next to the sea,” he said.

The Springboks made history in France in October last year when they became the four-time winners of the Rugby World Cup. This comes after beating New Zealand’s All-Blacks at the final at the Stade De France stadium.

During the interview, Siya’s dad opened up about the recent World Cup achievement, saying he still can’t believe it.

 

“It’s still new to me. It’s even worse that it’s a back-to-back victory. I was happy with the first World Cup. I will never forget it. Siya is happy and the family is happy with him. We don’t meet [often, but], he [Siya] comes back [home] maybe every six months,” Ray said.

The Springbok captain joined the French club Racing 92 following rising the Webb Ellis high in Paris. According to The Citizen, Siya bagged himself a three-year contract deal to be part of the French rugby team. Ray thinks his son will definitely learn the foreign language during his residency in the city of love.

“I would like Siya to speak French. Three years is too long [not to even] pick up one word,” he said.

Siya Kolisi’s parents were barely out of school when the rugby player was born. When Siya was just 15, his mother Phakama died and he was ultimately raised by his grandmother, Nolulamile. In 2018, Siya became the first black captain of the Springboks in its 126-year history.

His father recalled how the community of Zwide reacted to the news and said: “When he [Siya] was chosen as a captain, people here in Gqeberha were crazy… That was also a crazy month.”

Ray then shared that he often watches his son’s games at the stadiums, especially the ones played in the country. “I didn’t go to the World Cup in France. When they play in SA, I usually attend the games. I [also] attend the games sometimes when they play outside the country…

“Siya is a South African. He already got his business here. I think when he’s finished playing abroad, he is going to spend the rest of his years here [in Mzansi],” Ray added.