South Africa coach ‘not sure’ Siya Kolisi will remain Springboks captain

The Springbok skipper now plays club rugby in France for Racing 92

(Getty Images)

South African head coach Rassie Erasmus has said he is uncertain whether World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi will retain the role moving forward.

Kolisi has become one of the Springboks’ most influential figures, guiding the side to a superb defence of their World Cup title in France last year.

The 32-year-old, however, no longer plays his club rugby domestically in South Africa having moved from the Sharks to Paris-based outfit Racing 92 after October’s World Cup.

Unlike English players, Kolisi is still eligible to be picked for his national team despite playing abroad but Erasmus hinted that his preference for a locally-based captain may leave him with a decision to make regarding Kolisi’s future as the side’s skipper.

“Siya is playing some of his best rugby, but I prefer to have my captain locally based as that allows for more interaction,” Erasmus told reporters on Tuesday.

“This is a unique situation, and I think he (Kolisi) will play some Test matches; he certainly wants to, but we are not sure about the captaincy.”

Siya Kolisi now plays club rugby in France for Racing 92 (Getty Images)

Erasmus, who returned as head coach following the departure of Jacques Nienaber to Irish club side Leinster, was the head coach for Kolisi’s first World Cup win as captain in 2019 having picked the flanker to become the Springboks’ first black skipper the year prior.

The 51-year-old worked as the side’s director of rugby for the 2023 World Cup and said his focus was now on building the next iteration of the side. Duane Vermeulen has since retired from international rugby, while Kurt-Lee Arendse and Damian Willemse are the only two players from last October’s final in Paris currently aged under 30.

“In 2018, we had a roadmap for the players, and we said, ‘Where will this guy be in 2019, 2023 and 2027?’ We know exactly which players can only last another year, and we have given them the task to help the youngsters before they leave,” Erasmus added.

“But it is a challenge to tell a player, ‘OK, you must stop now.’ We have guys in their 30s who believe they can win another World Cup. Building a squad means giving young guys an opportunity and making sure we always improve on depth.

“By doing that, you will lose a few test matches, but then we will have the answers when we get to the World Cup. I would rather win the World Cup than sit at an 85 per cent win rate in between.”