Rachel Kolisi has defended her husband Siya's comments on the Black Lives Matter movement, which saw him open up on Instagram about his own struggles with race in sport.
The Springbok rugby captain had kept silent while racism in sport became a talking point in SA after Proteas fast bowler Lungi Ngidi spoke about the country's history of racial discrimination and how his teammates should take a stand against racism.
His comments opened the floodgates of debate with some former cricket players criticising his comments. However, it prompted other former players, including Makhaya Ntini, to speak about their experiences in elite sport in SA as a person of colour.
In an emotional post, Siya broke down some of his experiences while playing for the Springboks.
“When I started in rugby, I had to conform. Everything was done in Afrikaans. I couldn't understand a word and I felt stupid. Even though I was representing SA, I didn't feel like I was part of the team because my culture wasn't there.”
In the comments section, one person said the rugby player should be focusing on "all lives matter".
Rachel immediately responded: “The fact is Siya is explaining his struggles as a black man in SA, and instead of just listening or supporting, you bring up your struggle = white privilege.”
At the time of publishing, the post had received more than 80,000 views and hundreds of comments.
Sportsmen, fans and friends commended Siya for breaking his silence and talking about his experiences.
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