Springbok captain Siya Kolisi won’t be joining the Stormers for a paycheck ahead of his anticipated move back to Cape Town.
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Springbok captain Siya Kolisi won’t be joining the Stormers for a retirement pay cheque and is not guaranteed a starting place when he joins the Cape side next season.
While the Sharks star is saying his farewells in Durban over the next two games, Stormers director of rugby John Dobson revealed on Thursday that Kolisi took a “massive pay cut” because he wanted to return to the Mother City.
Dobson hosted a Q&A on Stormers TV on YouTube and touched on a variety of topics, including Friday evening’s clash against Ulster (8.45pm kick-off) and the return of Kolisi.
“Siya was desperate to come back and made a massive financial sacrifice to be here,” Dobson said.
“That gesture is appreciated. He said all I want to do is play for the Stormers and come back to Cape Town. When you have a Springbok captain who has made a great contribution to the country, make that gesture; it would be unfair to him to reveal the numbers, but that showed where his heart is. There is not one element of financial gain.
“The reaction to his announcement just shows what it means to the people of Cape Town. He has this presence in a room. Siya told us he is not here to take the place of Paul de Villiers or for a pay cheque. He wants to help bring youngsters through and when he is needed by the Stormers, he will put his body on the line as he does for the Springboks.
“He is a child of the Western Cape. We are super excited for his return and it is a great move for us.”
Dobson added that De Villiers knows Kolisi is not arriving to take his place in the team, but that the Bok captain can slot into any back-row position if needed. He reiterated that the Stormers players are comfortable with Kolisi joining the fray and that he will be a committed member of the squad.
“He won’t be the captain.”