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Siya Kolisi And Mzwandile Stick Media Conference In Adelaide

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The Springbok Rugby Team play against the Wallabies in Adelaide, Australia on Saturday 27 August 2022.

The Springboks are seeking a first win in Australia against the Wallabies in 8 years.

Kick off is at 7:30 am, South African Time.

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Siya Kolisi

Siya Kolisi was born on 16 June 1991 in the Zwide township of Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. He did not have a privileged upbringing – apparently his favourite toy when growing up was a brick. His parents were teenagers when he was born, with his mother Phakama dying when Kolisi was only 15. After this, he was raised by his grandmother, Nolulamile. Kolisi started rugby at the age of seven, following in the footsteps of several family members. His junior team was named the African Bombers, and he played for them for five years before he was offered a rugby scholarship to the acclaimed Grey High School. He didn’t speak any English when he first arrived at Grey, only fluent in his first language of Xhosa. A classmate, Nicholas Holton, taught him English and is still one of Kolisi’s closest friends – he was best man at his wedding. His professional career began at Western Province, whom he debuted for in 2011 against the Golden Lions in the Vodacom Cup. The next year saw him claim a starting berth for the Stormers in Super Rugby, but a thumb injury meant he missed Western Province’s Currie Cup triumph that season. In 2021, he moved from Stormers to Durban-based franchise Sharks. Kolisi is Springbok #851, making his debut against Scotland in Nelspruit in 2013. South Africa won 30-17, overcoming an 11-point deficit. The match also saw Tim Swinson and Tommy Seymour make their first international appearances for Scotland. He scored his first international try in Durban against France on 17 June 2017, the day after his 26 birthday. He managed to brilliantly intercept a ball around his ankles and streak away for the score, helping secure a 37-15 win. Like the relationship between Nelson Mandela and Francois Pienaar, there is a close relationship between current South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa and Kolisi. The two call each other after many Springbok matches and celebrated on the pitch after the 2019 Rugby World Cup triumph. Alongside his wife Rachel, Siya runs the Kolisi Foundation, which aims to provide assistance and opportunities for South Africans from vulnerable and disadvantaged communities. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the foundation provided PPE to frontline medical workers. Kolisi has officially adopted his younger half-siblings, Liyema and Liphelo. They now live in the family home with his wife and their two children, Nicholas and Keziah.

Mzwandile Stick

Springbok Assistant Coach Mzwandile Stick was born on 5 October 1984 in Gqeberha (formerly known as Port Elizabeth). Like Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, he grew up in a township on the outskirts of the city and used rugby as a means to escape a life of poverty. Stick played wing and full-back in the 15-man game for Eastern Province and had a brief stint in Super Rugby with the Sharks. He came off the bench for the newly formed Southern Kings side that faced the British & Irish Lions in 2009. Stick was better known for his exploits in the seven-man code, and famously led the Blitzboks to their inaugural World Rugby Sevens Series title in 2009. After moving into coaching, he had the opportunity to work with the Eastern Province U19 team. In 2015, the junior side won the domestic division for the first time in history. A few eyebrows were raised when Stick was fast-tracked into the Springbok coaching team in 2016. The Boks finished the season with a 33% win-record. While head coach Alllister Coetzee copped most of the blame, Stick took the fall in the sense that he was cut from the senior coaching staff and moved into the SA U20 set-up. When Rassie Erasmus succeeded Coetzee as Springbok coach in 2018, he made a point of recalling Stick. Erasmus felt that Stick’s experience in the seven-man game would be an asset to the Boks. The young coach was given a mandate to develop the players’ off-the-ball skills and ultimately their work-rate. In the wake of the Boks’ success at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, Erasmus and many of the players hailed Stick for his contributions. Fellow coaches and players often refer to him by his nickname, ‘Stokke’ – the Afrikaans word for ‘sticks’. The Springboks beat the All Blacks on 15 September 2018. The result ended South Africa’s nine-year drought on New Zealand soil. Seven days later, Stick celebrated another major milestone when he married Therina Mulder in Stellenbosch. When the cash-strapped Southern Kings franchise was liquidated in 2020, Stick – a former player and coach – went out of his way to raise funds for the management and squad members who had been left without a source of income. Stick was given the head coaching reins of the ‘Green team’ when a Springbok trial match was staged at Newlands last year. When Jacques Nienaber’s tenure eventually comes to an end, Stick will be a strong candidate for the head coach position.

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.