Springbok captain Siya Kolisi eagerly awaited his long-awaited return to the Stormers jersey and joined the team in Ireland before their first match in the United Rugby Championship (URC) last week.
Siya Kolisi was so keen to wear the Stormers jersey again that he flew to Ireland on Thursday and asked to play in their first URC match against Connacht in Galway on Friday evening. The Springbok captain aimed to return in the first game after coming back to the club from Cape Town, where he started his professional career.
Late injuries to Evan Roos and Marcel Teunissen ultimately allowed rugby director John Dobson to consider using Kolisi in Ireland. Initially, Roos was supposed to play at position No. 6, but his late departure from the game, followed by an injury to his replacement Teunissen, prompted Dobson to consider the option of Kolisi.
However, the newcomers invited to the team, Louw Nel and Riley Norton, showed exceptional results, which helped the Stormers secure a 29-15 victory in the first match of the new season.
United Rugby Championship
Kolisi joined his new teammates on Thursday and even participated in the pre-match warm-up with the team at the Dexcom stadium, surprising a small number of Stormers fans in Ireland. After the victory, he joined the team in the locker room and sang their song, Impi Yama Stormer, celebrating the triumph.
The inspiring Bok leader, along with assistant coach Rito Khulunwani and several players, also went to sing with the fans who waited for them after the match. John Dobson highly praised Kolisi's efforts to join the team and his willingness to contribute.
Dobson stated: "I just want to loudly thank Siya Kolisi, who asked to join us, and he wanted to play tonight (Friday), despite landing so late on Thursday." He continued: "I think this will help the entire destratification of the Stormers with the Springboks and without them. Having such a guy who is so involved, and truly an amazing example of actions speaking louder than words. And he comes here, puts in so much effort, trains with the team. It meant a lot to us.".