Bok skipper Kolisi named in Time's 100 most influential people of 2024
In 2023, Kolisi led the Springboks to a record fourth Rugby World Cup title, with the team becoming only the second one to retain the trophy after winning the title in 2019.
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi reacts as he holds the throphy from the bus carrying the rest of the team during the Springboks Champions trophy tour in East London, South Africa, on November 5, 2023, after South Africa won the France 2023 Rugby World Cup final match against New Zealand. Picture: WIKUS DE WET / AFP
CAPE TOWN - Springboks captain and double Rugby World Cup champion Siya Kolisi has been named as one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people of 2024.
The list includes people that the magazine believes "most changed the stories that define the past year".
In 2023, Kolisi led the Springboks to a record fourth Rugby World Cup title, with the team becoming only the second one to retain the trophy after winning the title in 2019. The All Blacks won back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2015.
In a write-up on Kolisi, South African comedian Trevor Noah said the Springbok captain was "the embodiment of hope during a time in which many South Africans find it hard to hold on to any," referring to life in South Africa after the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing energy crisis, and the country's political strife.
Noah said Kolisi had made rugby "into something more than just a competition", adding that his victories "have meant so much".
"Through his wisdom and humility, Siya has taught us what a powerful captain should be: someone who serves and inspires those he leads. And for him to lead a team in a historically white sport, to be loved and adored by fans of all races, is an immense achievement," Noah wrote.
He also described Kolisi as "an incessant warrior on the field, but he’s also a doting dad, a loving husband, and a great friend."
Also making the list were Yulia Navalnaya, Dua Lipa, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Jeffrey Wright, Taraji P. Henson, Elliot Page, Burna Boy, Michael J. Fox, Jenni Hermoso, Hayao Miyazaki, Max Verstappen, Javier Milei, and William Ruto.