Siya Kolisi and Mzwandile Stick are both incredible men with stories that start in Port Elizabeth townships. They are the kinds of heroes we need: worthy of all of the hype.
We got to know Siya well. He came over regularly with his six-year-old nephew. He was smart, charismatic, handsome and genuine. In June 2012, service delivery protests in Walmer township escalated into riots. To control black people’s movements, townships were designed with limited entrances and exits. Walmer township has only two: both were blocked and burning.
I saw Mangaliso in 2016 at Kolisi’s wedding. It was the first time since we had left Port Elizabeth three years before. His shame was palpable: it broke my heart. He even apologised for disappointing us. I am sure the coaches excused him for missing rugby practice the day of the protests. People may have made an effort to help Mangaliso or “fix” some aspect of his life. But I doubt anyone knew he was running panicked through the pre-dawn streets to avoid disappointing them.
Solly Tyibilika was the first black African Springbok ever to score a Test try, in a 2004 match against Scotland. There had been 874 tries before his.Every single person who talks about Solly as a player speaks with frustrated awe. Awe at his talent and capabilities; frustration because he could never cope in rugby structures.
Coaches “tried” to reign him in but, ultimately, he felt that the good he could achieve on the field was not worth the hassle off it. Solly played 158 games, for Griquas, Lions, Border and Sharks, before ending up at Hamilton Rugby Club in Cape Town. Solly struggled. He struggled when his parents died young and his older brothers became his caretakers. He struggled to handle his money when his Springbok earnings paid more in one day than his family members made in a year. He struggled to understand and show love. He struggled with English and Afrikaans. He struggled to contain and channel his frustration. He struggled to fit into a world that had nothing in common with the one he considered home.
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