Cape Town – South African rugby captain Siya Kolisi is in a race against time to be fit for the 2023 Rugby World Cup after he sustained a serious knee injury playing a URC game for the Sharks against Munster in Durban last weekend
However, it seems like not all hope is lost for Kolisi to stand the best possible chance to play in the World Cup, which commences in September in France.
According to IOL, a reliable source revealed that he underwent successful knee surgery in Cape Town on Friday.
“Siya has been consulting specialists all week and the consensus is that if he has the surgery now he is likely to be available for the World Cup,” the reliable source said.
Siya’s wife, Rachel, also confirmed that he would not be receiving his National Order of Ikhamanga award due to the fact that he underwent an operation.
JUST IN: Rachel Kolisi, wife of Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, confirms that he wil NOT be receiving his National Order of Ikhamanga in person today. She says he went for surgery on his knee injury today… #SiyaKolisi pic.twitter.com/rXFTDOEhYj
— Percivale Young (@Percyoung) April 28, 2023
News24 reported that Siya faced two options: either go under the knife or wait for the injury to heal which could take up to four months.
Initial reports suggested that he might not undergo surgery as the healing time was less than if he had gone for surgery.
However, he was advised by specialists to go for surgery and will now have roughly four months to complete his rehab and get fit in time.
The news that Kolisi is likely to go to the World Cup is a massive boost to the Springboks’ chances of successfully defending the Webb Ellis Cup.
The Springboks’ first match at the World Cup is against Scotland on September 10.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
