19 September 2019, by: Ludumo Nkabi

Siya Kolisi: Owning his crown

The phenomenon of co-captaincy has taken off in recent years and to a large degree has proven a huge success at domestic level. Collective leadership is also nothing new, all teams have multiple leaders. While this new school of thought has had success in domestic rugby, it is less significant in the Test match arena.

Test rugby has a different setup to franchise or club rugby, there is less time to integrate the different leadership traits, in Test rugby there needs to be a distinct leader amongst the group, one who will not disappear into the collective leadership construct.

If Rassie Erasmus is King and ruler over the South African rugby fraternity, then Siya Kolisi, as Springbok captain and leader on and off the field is the crown prince of the South African game at present.

Due to injury Siya Kolisi has not featured much for the Springboks this season and inevitably, the leadership baton was passed around quite a bit in the Rugby Championship. There is a chance of that enhancing the team’s leadership pool or a risk of a haphazard understanding of limitations by the supporting “captains.”

The latter is dangerous and could affect team dynamics, but to be fair to the Springboks, it does not seem to be the case in Rassie Erasmus’ camp. However, Kolisi needs to come out and be the leader, commander and captain of the Bok ship at this Rugby World Cup.

His personal life story has always been a point of interest for the public. His against-all-odds narrative is relatable and as such people have a natural gravitation towards him. He is also an upstanding guy who gets along with most people.

“I don’t think you will ever hear anyone saying anything bad about the man, he’s got time for everybody, and he is a supreme leader,” John Dobson says. “I am really looking forward to working with him next year, he had an amazing effect on the youngsters when he joined us in the Currie Cup this year” he adds.

It certainly is an image all South Africans have of Siya Kolisi that is described by the Stormers head coach, he is a pleasant chap who is rarely seen without a smile and is always upbeat. The overriding sentiment I get from Dobson as we continue chatting is his achievements have not changed his character.

His marriage and family also make him the face of the rainbow nation and it is almost asserted on him to be the ambassador of that inclusivity, which is by no means lamentable – on the contrary, it is laudable that he exudes that kind of quality. It does, however, put undue pressure on him to be an embracer rather than being his own man as a leader.

This is by no means an indictment on Kolisi’s leadership capabilities, the man is an accomplished leader of men. The Springboks’ revival under his leadership over the past 2 seasons is a testament to his character and ability to rally his troops around for a common goal.

Siya Kolisi can choose to be the type of leader he wants to be, the inclusive one who employs a greater brain trust can work, but it seldom does in Test rugby. International rugby is unforgiving and needs decisiveness.

If he does not choose the aforementioned brain trust, he will be the one that takes it all upon himself when it is necessary to do so, during World Cups and in big tournaments, leaders need to be hands-on and less delegating in the tough situations.

Looking back at the British and Irish Lions tour of 2017. There were a lot of leaders in the Lions team, but one never doubted that Sam Warburton was in charge, it was evident when he was not on the field. The Lions looked bent out of shape – when he was on they looked strong and steady.

The same can be said of Richie McCaw, Thierry Dusautoir and if we are to look a bit further back John Smit and Martin Johnson. They were uncompromising leaders on the field and when it was necessary. They showed they were in charge, all the great leaders did.

As John Dobson continues talking about the loose forward he describes a player who has a stern side to him, “He has rigorous demands of himself and his teammates and he demands a 100% effort from everyone in the team”

Kolisi needs to channel that part of his leadership, especially at the World Cup where a lot needs to be done in a short space of time. Clarity and being concise in how he marshals his troops is important for the 28-year-old. He needs to own his crown and if it means he has to be a bit more selfish, then so be it.

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