WATCH: Siya Kolisi puts intense rivalry aside to make young fan’s year with classy gesture
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi giving a gift to a supporter following Racing 92's defeat.
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi once again displayed why he is held in such high regard around the world when he showed his class in defeat.
The 32-year-old is known for his self-effacing attitude and his graciousness in either victory or defeat.
Despite seeing his team, Racing 92, suffer a disappointing derby defeat at Stade Francais, Kolisi still took time to mix with the fans and give a gift to a young supporter.
Paris rivalry
That fan happened to be a follower of Stade who, despite the rivalry between the Parisian teams, very much regards the South African skipper as a hero.
The youngster was desperate to get his hands on Kolisi’s boots and the back-row reciprocated, taking them off and giving them to the supporter.
The fan then proceeded to celebrate wildly, waving his hands in the air following the Boks flanker’s gesture.
La générosité n’a pas de maillot !
Beau geste de la part de Siya Kolisi pour ce supporter du Stade Français Paris, d’autant plus après une défaite dans le derby parisien 👏#TOP14 pic.twitter.com/BoddDaRnWP
— TOP 14 Rugby (@top14rugby) February 27, 2024
Kolisi has impressed on and off field since moving to France after the conclusion of the Rugby World Cup, and has already endeared himself to the supporters.
He has mixed with the fans and joined in their celebrations after matches, while his performances on the field have also been good.
Struggling Racing
However, the back-row has been powerless to stop Racing’s recent slide down the table following four consecutive defeats.
Their 27-11 reversal at the hands of their Paris rivals followed losses to Toulouse, Perpignan and Montpellier, with them now down in sixth place in the Top 14.
They are still in the play-off mix but have slipped well behind the top two, Stade and Toulouse, who are both 10 points above them.
Racing also faces a tough game next up when they take on Bordeaux-Begles away from home, a team that have title ambitions of their own with them two places ahead of the Parisians in fourth.
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