Rugby World Cup BundleSiya Kolisi: Against All Odds (Biography) & Road to Glory (Childrens Book)

About

Against all odds

Siya Kolisi kept his emotions under wraps as he walked out into the roar of the stadium. It was the 26-year-old's first game as Springbok captain. He let out a slow, controlled breath and clasped the hand of the young fan accompanying him onto the field.

As a boy, the odds were stacked against Siya Kolisi. Born into poverty in the township of Zwide near Port Elizabeth, he was raised by his grandmother as his mother was too young to cope and his father worked in Cape Town. Food was scarce and he often went to bed hungry.

But Siya had one great passion: rugby. He would spend his free time playing for the African Bombers Club until, one day, he was offered a rugby scholarship to Grey High School. Thus began one of the most remarkable success stories in rugby history, one that culminated in his appointment as the first black Springbok captain.

Against All Odds traces Siya's journey from a dusty township to the great arenas of international rugby. It is a remarkable story of grit and determination. From SA Schools matches to success with the Stormers and Western Province to the devastating lows brought on by injury, Siya just keeps on going. As Springbok captain, he carries the hopes of a rugby-mad nation. Read about the journey, against all odds, of a great South African.

Siya Kolisi: Road to Glory (children's book)

This is a moving story of the rise to fame from humble beginnings of one of South Africa’s most popular rugby stars, written specifically for young readers.

Early on his life, Siya discovered that rugby could be his route out of the grinding poverty in which he had grown up in the Eastern Cape. He worked hard, made sure he was noticed and managed to secure a scholarship to the prestigious Grey College. But he had to adapt quickly to a world he had never encountered, while keeping his roots in the community that he knew and loved.

His hard work and natural ability saw him moving to Cape Town to join the Stormers, trying to break into the Springbok team, and learning to adjust to life at the top of the game that is a national obsession.

Siya Kolisi is part of the ‘Road to Glory’ series, which covers some of South Africa’s sporting legends as they set out on their journeys to becoming national and international stars.

Product Features

• Paper back
• Great read
• Inspirational