Racing 92 awaiting the debut of ‘superb’ Springboks captain Siya Kolisi

Dylan Coetzee 17 Nov 2023 8:03 AM

Springboks captain Siya Kolisi celebrates during a trophy parade.

Springboks skipper and new signing Siya Kolisi could make his debut for Racing 92 in the Top 14 against La Rochelle next week.

After signing for the side before the Rugby World Cup, the superstar was unveiled by the club earlier this month but will miss this weekend’s Parisian derby with Stade Francais as he is in the United States of America with his family.

Welcome Home @SiyaKolisi 💙#RacingFamily pic.twitter.com/b1mcpCUh1j

— Racing 92 (@racing92) November 9, 2023

Very happy to play with Kolisi

The club is eagerly awaiting his debut and new teammate Cameron Woki is looking forward to playing with the inspirational star even though the Springboks bundled Les Bleus out of the World Cup in the quarter-finals last month.

“We spoke last week, but not especially about the quarter-final. Siya knows that it hurts,” Woki told AFP in an interview this week.

“I’m very happy to be able to play with a player like him. (He is) a leader, a superb man who can teach me a lot.”

There was great expectation for France during their home World Cup and Woki was a key element to the Les Bleus machine. The second-row admits he had to take a break to process the heartbreak.

“I worked a lot to play at the World Cup,” Woki said.

“So ending it at the quarter-finals, it was painful. For everyone.

“I had a break, I went to Crete with my partner, which allowed me to recover mentally.”

“Like a scooter”

Kolisi is not the only new addition for Racing 92 with electric Englishman Henry Arundell already throwing his name in lights with a hat-trick on debut.

Woki joked about the alarming pace of the young star and hopes he can be with the club for an extended period.

“He’s like a scooter. He runs quickly,” Woki said. “He’s very professional. The English are like that.

“Playing with players of that quality is good for the club. I hope he can stay here for a long time.”