A national captain filled with pride and a bunch of bright-eyed pupils amped with inspiration.
This encapsulated the magical moment between Siya Kolisi and a group of youngsters from his former primary school after the Boks bamboozled the Baabaas in Gqeberha on Saturday.
In among the 26,398 people at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was a special group of youngsters clad in their green and gold supporter tops that read “I am Siya” on the back.
The excited boys were the Emsengeni Primary School under-13 rugby team whose voices were backed by thousands of supporters as they danced, shouted and gestured with every try, hard tackle and fleet-footed side-step.
The school is the one Kolisi attended as a youngster in Zwide before going on to become an international icon.
And though Kolisi’s status has far exceeded his humble beginnings, his genuine character again came to the fore as he invited the team onto the field to take a few pictures and exchange words in a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the youngsters.
As one of the main partners of the Springboks, Pick n Pay saw an opportunity to turn the Barbarians fixture into something far more meaningful.
Together with the Pick n Pay School Club programme, the team invited young rugby players from the school to attend the match and experience the joy of watching Kolisi captain the Boks in his home province to an emphatic 80-31 victory.
Emsengeni principal Luyanda Nyoka thanked Pick n Pay for making it possible.
“These players see Siya as a source of inspiration given his massive achievements and the fact that he came from Zwide and, out of a desperate situation and out of nowhere, managed to climb the ladder and become an international hero,” he said.
“As a school we are exceptionally proud of him and these boys will definitely try to emulate these achievements.
“This experience will give these boys extra motivation because by just being exposed to this type of environment, they now see sport as a possible career.
“Our school doesn’t have a rugby or soccer field but despite that these players are able to overcome.
“Our duty as a school is to motivate them that their dreams are valid and there is nothing they cannot achieve.”
Grade 6 pupil Angalakha Mahala, 12, said meeting Kolisi would remain among the best experiences etched into his memory.
“It was a great experience,” he said.
“Siya is really much bigger than he looks on TV.
“One day, I also want to play rugby for the Springboks and be on TV.
“Today really got me excited about the day I get to play rugby in front of thousands of people for my country.
“I will never forget this day for as long as I live.
“I am very excited to get back to playing rugby for my school after the holidays.”
The head of strategic sponsorships at Pick n Pay, Tessa Chamberlain, said Emsengeni had been part of the Pick n Pay School Club programme, which was launched 24 years ago to help expand access to quality, curriculum-aligned education for under-resourced schools across SA.
“As a proud Springbok partner and through the work we do with the Pick n Pay School Club, we recognised an opportunity to create something truly meaningful,” Chamberlain said.
“These boys come from the same school where Siya’s journey began, and to see them watch him lead the Springboks and then meet him in person was incredibly emotional.
“It reminded all of us that talent exists everywhere but opportunity and belief can help unlock it.
“We hope this experience showed these young players that where you start does not define where you can go.”
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