Springbok captain Siya Kolisi is free to speak to the Sharks after being released early from his contract with Western Province Rugby.
CAPE TOWN – After 11 years together, Siya Kolisi and Western Province have parted ways, and the Springbok captain is now expected to sign for the Sharks.
WP Rugby confirmed on Sunday morning that they had come to an agreement to release Kolisi from his contract early after a fee had been paid, leaving him open to talk to the Sharks.
“Kolisi’s current contract was set to come to an end in October 2021 and although the union did everything possible to re-sign him, he chose not to take it up and has been released early from his contract, upon acceptance of a transfer fee,” WP Rugby said in a statement.
This comes despite Sharks chief executive Eduard Coetzee telling the media last week that they were not willing to pay a transfer fee.
Kolisi, who signed for Western Province Rugby straight out of Grey High School, said that he will always cherish the memories of his time in Cape Town.
“I would like to thank everyone at Western Province Rugby for what has been an incredible time in my life in which I have grown as a rugby player and a person.
“All of the coaches, management and teammates who had such a big influence on me over the last 11 years and especially the Stormers Faithful and people of Cape Town and beyond who made my time with the union so special. It has been a privilege to experience their support,” he said.
Stormers and Province coach John Dobson thanked and wished his captain well for the future.
“Siya Kolisi will always be a Stormers legend, his story is well-known throughout the world and everyone here is grateful to have played a role in that. We would have loved for him to stay and finish his career where it started, but we wish him all the best.
“We have always done our best to retain the world-class talent we have at the union before looking elsewhere and we are looking forward to announcing some significant contract extensions with some of our experienced players in the near future,” he said.
