Siya Kolisi Opens Doors for Young Women with Rugby Partnership

Siya Kolisi is going back to grassroots to level the playing field for the future of rugby in South Africa. The Springbok captain aims to celebrate his own heritage and give back to his beloved sport through Red Bull Roots, a multi-year partnership with the Kolisi Foundation that aims to empower the next generation of young rugby players, including young women… because rugby is for everyone.

“It’s in my family,” says Kolisi. “My dad played, my uncle played, my grandfather played. Now it’s about bringing rugby to the community, and going back to grassroots.”

Investing in the youth of South Africa through the sport of rugby is one of the reasons the 31-year old established the Kolisi Foundation in the first place. He is committed to tackling the challenge of inequality in rugby by providing the youth of South Africa with opportunities to thrive in their sporting abilities and positively change their lives.

With the help of Kolisi’s friends and fellow rugby players, including the first professional Woman 15s player in Africa, Babalwa Latsha, the Red Bull Roots initiative aims to foster the right environment for community empowerment.

“It’s about creating that opportunity, and that means equipment, resources, proper coaching, discipline, accountability, and instilling a sense of belonging,” explains Kolisi. “That’s why we are here, so we can push and create access for others.”

Female representation in rugby

Female representation within rugby is an equally important facet of the sport. The inclusion of young women at Red Bull Roots clinic highlights the importance of a level playing field and enables first-hand access for young girls to learn from pro female rugby players like Latsha, and strive and reach the heights that Kolisi has achieved with the World Cup-winning team.

« Being a black woman in South Africa is not easy… » – Latsha

“Being a black woman in South Africa is not easy, be it in the sporting realm or elsewhere; that’s the reality”, says Latsha. “But I think it’s so important that with programmes like these we change that narrative and allow ourselves to be visible so that we can instill a sense of hope in these young women. It’s about opening doors”.

In celebrating cultural differences and coming together under one cause, the driving message behind the Kolisi-backed Red Bull Roots initiative can be summed up in Latsha’s own words; “Rugby is for everyone. Sport is for everyone. Nothing is impossible.”

Catch the Red Bull roots special with Siya Kolisi now www.redbull.com.