‘Whenever I had time off, I just drank,’ Siya Kolisi reveals in his new book

Siya Kolisi

Cape Town – Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, has opened up about how his drinking habit nearly destroyed him.

Siya this week took to his Twitter account and announced the release of his new book, Rise.

“My story. My truth. In my words. Through my own rise, I hope I can show people in South Africa and around the world – of every colour, gender and spiritual belief – that anything is possible,” he wrote.

According to reports, the book details Siya’s rugby and life successes.

He shares with his readers and fans his difficult upbringing in a township near Gqeberha, as well as his battle with substance abuse.

According to Sports24, Kolisi made his Springbok debut in 2013 and was named the country’s first black captain in 2018.

Under his leadership, the Boks won the 2019 Rugby World Cup and defeated the British & Irish Lions 2-1 in a series this year, said the report.

In an extract published by the Sunday Times, the captain took his readers back to 2015 when he had a lot of embarrassing moments, now that he looks back.

“Whenever I had time off, I just drank. I was bored and feeling sorry for myself, there were other guys around in the same boat who were always happy to hang out, and it was all too easy for me to hit the bars and pubs and be a good-time guy,” Siya wrote .

“Rachel [my wife] had come out with baby Nick, and this would have been the perfect opportunity to spend some time with them; but no, I preferred to be out with the boys. It was an awful time for her, and I was too selfish to realise. In the end Rachel got fed up with me being a jerk and flew home a week early.”

Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Picture: Twitter/@SiyaKolisi_Bear

For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com 

Compiled by Sinothando Siyolo

Article written by