South Africa
A globetrotting, jet-heeled, kick-blocking, defenderbamboozling star. Keeping up with Springboks wing Cheslin Kolbe will make you dizzy
CHESLIN KOLBE lives his life as he plays his rugby – at high speed. For a moment, you know what it’s like to be Owen Farrell or Joe Marler, the England players who famously locked onto the Springbok wing in the second half of the 2019 World Cup final, only to be left grasping at shadows. One second you have him, the next you don’t. Getting Kolbe to slow down for an interview is no mean feat.
Kolbe takes a breath before providing a breakdown of his schedule. Few players win one World Cup, let alone two. South Africa’s triumph at the 2023 tournament has burnished Kolbe’s legacy and opened the door to several opportunities.
Many expressed their surprise after he moved to Japan last year. He highlights his commitment to Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath, before pointing out that the less demanding Japanese season gives him more leeway to pursue other business interests and commitments.
A recent Instagram post shows Kolbe posing with a Springbok jersey alongside American rapper Jay-Z – the founder of entertainment company Roc Nation. Kolbe and other stars like Siya Kolisi, Maro Itoje and Ardie Savea are on Roc Nation’s books. While some may baulk at the idea of ‘building a brand’, Kolbe and Co have realised what this type of collaboration can do for their causes. At the time of our interview, he’s setting up the Cheslin Kolbe Foundation, which aims to provide a range of services to his community on the outskirts of Cape Town. We had planned to chat a day earlier, before he was summoned to the golf course by his new partners at Value Golf. At the ripe old age of 30, Kolbe is developing a passion for the sport and confirms that the partnership with the Japanese company will boost his social outreach initiatives in the coming years.
Kolbe grew up in the ganglands of Kraaifontein, and on more than one occasion found himself quite literally running for his life. He goes back to his community whenever he returns to South Africa and is saddened to see small children walking those dangerous and impoverished streets.
“I was driving down the road and I saw a kid without shoes,” he says of a recent visit. “It was like looking at myself 20 years ago. It became a case of, how do we put shoes on this kid’s feet? How do we help others in need?
During Covid, a lot of people lost their jobs and the means to put food on the table. How do we help those families? “That’s where an idea for a foundation started but I’m hoping it goes further. I want to be in a position to offer bursaries to kids and give them a platform to go on to bigger and better things.”
The world needs more people like Kolbe and Kolisi, who go out of their way
