The 2019 Rugby World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi finished week nine of his post-surgery rehabilitation at the conclusion of the Rugby Championship preparation camp in Pretoria.
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi is making considerable progress in his recovery from an ACL injury and could possibly recover in time for one of South Africa’s World Cup warm-up matches.
The 2019 Rugby World Cup-winning captain finished week nine of his post-surgery rehabilitation at the conclusion of the Rugby Championship preparation camp in Pretoria, and under the watchful eye of the Springboks’ medical staff started putting more weight and strain on his right knee in the gym.
Kolisi picked up the injury in a match for the Sharks, and there have been questions about whether the Bok leader will be ready for the 2023 tournament in France ahead of September’s first World Cup match against Scotland.
The Boks will play in three Tests against Argentina, Wales and New Zealand, and if Kolisi continues hitting positive marks, the All Blacks Test at Twickenham could be a good match to welcome him back into the international rugby fold.
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Rassie Erasmus, SA Rugby’s director of rugby, and Bok coach Jacques Nienaber have been giving weekly updates on Kolisi’s progress, and the captain himself faced the media during the Rugby Championship preparation camp in Pretoria.
He’s been in recovery and rehabilitation for just over two months after surgery in Cape Town at the end of April.
It was reported earlier that the Bok captain saw three specialists when consulting about the best path for him to be able to get to the World Cup.
And although it was first thought Kolisi only had a partial tear, it is understood that he tore his ACL completely.
An ACL injury usually takes a player at most nine months to recover, but Kolisi continues to inspire with his progress and determination to lead his team.
And judging by how he’s been going in the gym, the Bok captain could well be on his way to a full recovery quicker than expected.
“I’m feeling good and thankful that I can make my recovery in the squad,” Kolisi said recently when asked about his injury and being able to train with his Springbok teammates.
On Saturday he posted a video showing him doing all sorts of weight training, specifically focused on his recovering knee, in the gym alongside Springbok physiotherapists Rene Naylor and Aneurin Robyn.
Kolisi also did some one-legged trampoline jumps while only putting weight on his right leg.
Before this, he has been cycling and putting in the work at the gym, strengthening his knee, but for the most part, the movement has been forward and backwards.
Kolisi’s big test will come when he gets back onto the rugby field and sees how his knee will handle fast sprints, changing direction, and contact.
But there’s still no exact date as to when Nienaber and his management expect Kolisi to be back on the rugby field.
The first contact session back is usually the one where players have to be mentally switched on. Kolisi, though, has been through this before and will be backed to be ready when he eventually returns to the playing field.
@Leighton_K
