Siya Kolisi gives update on his fitness as Rugby World Cup race continues

Adam Kyriacou
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Springbok captain Siya Kolisi celebrates

South Africa captain Siya Kolisi has given an update on his fitness and is confident he could feature in at least one Rugby World Cup warm-up game.

The Springboks flanker recently underwent knee surgery and is now recovering in a race against time to be fit for the tournament, which kicks off in September.

Early speculation suggested that Kolisi was a major doubt to make the Rugby World Cup, but those fears have eased as the weeks have passed by.

Kolisi to miss Rugby Championship

On Tuesday, he spoke to the media as his Springbok team-mates build towards their opening Rugby Championship match, against Australia on July 8.

Kolisi had the operation on his knee at the end of April, and he has been doing intense rehabilitation since, in the hope of making the Rugby World Cup.

“I’m feeling good, and my rehabilitation is going well,” he told the Boks’ website.

“I’ve been working hard to recover as well as possible, and it’s great to be able to do so in the team environment. Some of the players have been helping me as well, so I’m taking things day by day.

“Obviously, it’s not a great feeling to be injured, but I’ve been here before, and it’s nice to have the support of the coaches and players, as well as the medical and conditioning team, who have been fantastic.

“I’m progressing each week, and I’ve steadily been able to do new things, so I’m confident with how things are going. Hopefully, I’ll be able to play in one or two of the Rugby World Cup warm-up games.”

Shortened version of the tournament

The 2023 Rugby Championship will see teams face each other just once due to the 2023 Rugby World Cup taking place later in the year on French soil.

South Africa will kick off against the Wallabies at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, July 8 before facing New Zealand (Auckland) and Argentina (Johannesburg).

They will then have three Rugby World Cup warm-up fixtures – against Argentina in Buenos Aires (August 5), Wales in Cardiff (August 19), and New Zealand in London (August 25) – before travelling to Corsica for a one-week camp en route to Toulon for their opening World Cup fixture against Scotland on Sunday, September 10.

READ MORE: Victor Matfield: Everything you need to know about the Springbok legend

Internationals Siya Kolisi

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