“Captain and Future Captain”: Siya Kolisi Praised for Going Shopping with Junior Bok Batho Hlekani
- Springboks captain Siya Kolisi shared quality time with rising Junior Bok star Batho Hlekani during a shopping outing in Cape Town
- Hlekani, who helped South Africa win the U20 World Cup, was invited to train with the senior Boks ahead of upcoming matches
- The two loose forwards, both from Zwide in the Eastern Cape, bonded off the field as fans praised Kolisi’s mentorship and leadership
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi took time out to go shopping with Junior Springbok standout Batho Hlekani. Kolisi shared the photos on Instagram, sparking warm reactions from Bok fans across the country.
Source: Getty Images
Hlekani was part of the Junior Boks team that made history by defeating the Baby All Blacks in Italy last month to win the Under-20 World Cup. The 20-year-old recently moved from the Sharks to the Lions and is widely regarded as one of South Africa’s brightest rugby prospects.
Hlekani is part of the Boks camp.
He was invited into the Springboks training squad by head coach Rassie Erasmus to gain experience alongside senior players preparing for upcoming matches. His appearance with Kolisi, though off the field, felt fitting, both players hail from Zwide in the Eastern Cape and play in the same position: loose forward.
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In a post that captured the moment, Kolisi wrote:
“Abantwana bomgquba, from eZwide, Emsengeni neAfrican Bombers namhlanje simele uMzansi, uThixo unamandla.”
Loosely translated: "Children of the struggle, from Zwide, Emsengeni, and African Bombers — today we represent South Africa. God is mighty."
Hlekani is expected to be released from the Boks squad this weekend. It remains to be seen whether he will immediately link up with the Lions' Currie Cup team.
His move from the Sharks to the Lions was not without drama, with the Sharks claiming he was contracted until the end of 2025. However, the Lions confirmed his signing with a 40-second video on X, captioned:
"Introducing Junior World Champion Batho Hlekani," signalling that a boardroom agreement had been reached.
See the post below:
How did netizens react to the post?
Fans flooded Kolisi’s comment section with heartfelt reactions to the photos of the two eating and shopping together:
@dmandisi:
“Captain and future captain.”
@leighfortuin65:
“Father and son.”
@fitbodies:
“Full circle. Siyabonga, captain.”
@francois_cloete:
“Proper leadership. Amazing opportunity to show the next generation what approachability and mentorship look like. Take a bow, Cap.”
@phesh6210:
“The results of the path you paved, Siya, with your talent.”
@breeze_sa:
“Destined for greatness. What a mentor to have.”
@davidjthompson:
“That’s super cool.”
@bukekageju:
“I saw four plates and kept swiping, thinking more people were with you. That’s exactly why the KID is so big.”
Source: Getty Images
SA Rugby mourns former Springboks captain.
Briefly News previously reported that a former Springboks captain passed away on Monday morning after a long illness. The player who was born in Zimbabwe was instrumental even after retirement as both a coach and an administrator.
He has been described by South African Rugby as a leader in the game of rugby and has left an incredible legacy behind.
Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
