Meet the WAGs behind the South Africa stars plotting World Cup glory… and England’s downfall

• South Africa will face England in the Rugby World Cup semi-finals on Saturday 
• The Springboks moved closer to defending their title by beating hosts France 
• Reigning world champions have been cheered on by their wives and girlfriends 
• Latest Rugby World Cup 2023 news, including fixtures, live scores and results

South Africa will begin as the clear favourites when the meet England in the Rugby World Cup semi-finals on Saturday evening.

The Springboks will be looking to deny England once again on rugby’s biggest stage, after twice winning against them in the final. South Africa triumphed 32-12 in the 2019 final in Tokyo, as well as the 2007 clash at the Stade de France. 

The latest showdown will take place at the same venue in Paris, as South Africa bid to move one step closer to a fourth Rugby World Cup title. Siya Kolisi and his South Africa side have been boosted throughout the tournament by the support of their wives and girlfriends in France.

The team have been backed by their loved ones through the low of being beaten by Ireland in the pool phase to the highs of downing hosts France in the quarter-finals last weekend.

Mail Sport takes a closer look at how the support system around South Africa’s stars off the pitch as they eye World Cup glory yet again.

South Africa’s team have been supported during the tournament by their wives and girlfriends

The Springboks moved a step closer to retaining the Rugby World Cup by beating hosts France

Support will come from the stands again when South Africa face England on Saturday

Rachel Kolisi 

South Africa captain Siya Kolisi has spoken of the vital role his wife Rachel has played throughout both his career and in the build-up to this year’s World Cup.

The couple met at a dinner event in Stellenbosch in 2012 before marrying four years later.

Their son Nicholas Siyamthanda was born in 2015 and they welcomed their daughter Keziah in 2021.

Kolisi, who led his nation to the World Cup in 2019, revealed in his autobiography Rise that the fear of losing his family had played a role in helping him in a battle against alcoholism.

He had turned to alcohol amid his failure to become a regular starter for South Africa at the 2015 World Cup, as well as a way of coping with a painful past. The flanker had grown up in a poor family in the impoverished Zwide township just outside Port Elizabeth. He was raised by his grandmother after his mother died young. 

Rachel Kolisi has played a crucial role in the career of her husband, Siya, who is South Africa captain

Boks captain Siya Kolisi has spoken about the importance of his wife Rachel to his career

Rachel played a key role in establishing the Kolisi Foundation after the 2019 World Cup

‘Whenever I had time off, I just drank,’ Kolisi wrote. ‘I was bored and feeling sorry for myself, there were other guys around in the same boat who were always happy to hang out, and it was all too easy for me to hit the bars and pubs and be a good-time guy.

‘Rachel had come out with baby Nick, and this would have been the perfect opportunity to spend some time with them; but no, I preferred to be out with the boys. It was an awful time for her, and I was too selfish to realise. In the end Rachel got fed up with me being a jerk and flew home a week early.

‘The trajectory of my life was bad. I had to stop behaving like this or else I’d lose my family. It wasn’t “stop drinking”, because drinking would have been fine if I’d just had a couple of beers and stopped there. It was “stop drinking until you’re obliterated, each and every time”.

‘Because that’s what I was. Whenever I opened a drink it was as though there was a message at the bottom of the bottle saying “drink me, keep on going”. I’d binge and not remember what had happened the night before.’

Siya and Rachel also established the Kolisi Foundation after discussing the influence they would gain should South Africa win the 2019 World Cup on the eve of the tournament.

The foundation seeks to create safe spaces through sport and education, addressing gender-based violence, and contributing to food security. 

Siya revealed how the fear of losing Rachel and his family had helped him to tackle his issues with alcohol

Siya, who became South Africa’s first black rugby captain, nearly missed out on playing at this year’s tournament due to suffering a ruptured knee. He credited Rachel’s support and their Christian faith for helping him to recover in time.

Rachel had asked her 375,000 Instagram followers to pray for Siya’s recovery after his injury was confirmed. 

‘It’s been a team effort. The people around me and my wife have been big,’ Siya said. ‘I had a lot of doubt when the injury happened and she just prayed. She believed I could get here.

‘From the day he saw my scans, the specialist – Dr Willem van der Merwe – said: ‘This is possible. I’m going to fix you and the rest is up to you’.

‘To have a medical team that said it was possible honestly changed my belief. I had doubts. I won’t lie. I had to believe in powers far stronger than me.

‘I can’t justify how I was recovering and healing so quickly. The medical team did say it was not normal. They had not seen the things I was able to do so quickly.

‘I have peace in my heart I gave myself the best chance to be here. I’m not walking in fear. I’m walking in confidence because I feel good.’

Kolisi with his wife Rachel and two children after undergoing surgery on his ruptured ACL

Kolisi has been able to remain positive with help of his family, medical team and faith

Mine De Klerk

Scrum-half Faf de Klerk has been cheered on during the World Cup by his wife Mine.

They were introduced by mutual friends in 2015, with the couple marrying last October at the La Paris Estate in the town of Franschhoek.

Mine, who is a pharmacist, was reunited with her husband for their wedding anniversary earlier this month.

Their year anniversary was marked at the La Jetee restaurant in France, with Faf able to take time off the tournament to celebrate with a glass of wine.

Mine, who had flown into France just days before, posting the photo on Instagram with the caption ‘Back together.’

The milestones have kept coming during the tournament, with Mine sharing photos of couple after the quarter-final win over France to celebrate her husband’s 32nd birthday on Thursday.

Scrumhalf Faf de Klerk celebrated South Africa’s win over France with his wife Mine

The pair were introduced by mutual friends in 2015, before marrying last October

The couple have marked their one year wedding anniversary during the tournament in France

Marise Pollard

Springbok’s fly-half Handre Pollard was a star of their 2019 World Cup final triumph against England, where he scored 22 points in the victory.

Pollard was initially left out of the squad for this year’s World Cup after picking up a calf injury in May.

He was called up to the squad as a late replacement in September, with his wife Marise also jetting in to support her husband.

The lifestyle and fitness blogger, who married Pollard in 2017, celebrated the fly half’s return to the South Africa team when he was selected for their pool phase win over Tonga.

Pollard will start as a replacement against England, but will hope to come off the bench to inflict further pain on their rivals as South Africa seek a place in the final.

Marise will again by supporting him from the stands alongside the wives of several South African team-mates, with the 27-year-old sharing a series of photos of group spending time together so far.

Marise Pollard, a fitness and lifestyle blogger, married Springbok’s fly-half Handre back in 2017

Handre Pollard’s wife Marise flew out with him after he was called up to the squad last month

Marise enjoys some downtime on the beach as she poses for a picture on Instagram

Marise has shared photos with fellow wives of South Africa’s stars throughout the World Cup

Anlia Etzebeth 

Eben Etzebeth has been a stalwart of the South Africa team since making his debut in 2012, with the lock having made 117 appearances for the Springboks.

Etzebeth’s try against France was crucial to helping the team come from behind to end France’s winning run last week.

The 31-year-old, who was named South Africa’s player of the year in 2022, has received the support of his wife Anlia van Rensburg.

A memorable moment for the couple came last year, when Anlia sang South Africa’s national anthem ahead of Etzebeth earning his 100th cap for his nation.

‘Thank you Eben Etzebeth for giving me the privilege to share this moment with you and your incredible milestone, thank you South Africa Rugby, for your trust in me to lead our country’s national anthem,’ she wrote on Instagram. ‘It was a GREAT HONOR!’

Anlia Etzebeth is a well-known star in South Africa have starred in several soaps

Anlia is a singer and actress and is married to South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth

‘It was special having my family here with my dad in the stands and my fiancée singing the national anthem,’ Etzebeth added after beating Wales.

‘When I came out, especially with those flames going, I was just trying to take everything in, singing the national anthem.

‘I was just trying to take in every moment, but the most important thing was to get the victory.’

Anlia is a well-known star in South Africa have starred in several soaps, before being cast in Ridley Scott’s HBO series, Raised by Wolves, where she featured in six episodes. 

Anlia was chosen to sing South Africa’s national anthem when Etzebeth won his 100th cap

She was cast in Ridley Scott’s HBO series, Raised by Wolves, starring in six episodes

Layla Kolbe

South African full-back Cheslin Kolbe has enjoyed success on the pitch as part of the 2019 World Cup winning team, but also when walking off it.

Kolbe previously revealed he had met his wife Layla after playing a match for the Stormers back in 2013. 

‘We had played a Currie Cup game against the Xerox Golden Lions, and after the match I noticed a beautiful girl in a red hoodie coming down Boundary Road outside DHL Newlands,’ Chelsin said.

‘She stopped myself and Kurt Coleman, because her friend wanted to take a photo with us, and I have been in love with her ever since.’

Cheslin Kolbe met his wife Layla when walking off the pitch after a match in 2013, with the couple pictured holding the Rugby World Cup trophy six years later

Layla has been keen to share her affection for his husband from the stands in France

Chelsin proposed to Layla on the Newlands pitch following a match in 2013 in honour of the venue where they had first met.

‘Layla is love of my life, and I wanted to propose to her at a place that holds a special place in both our hearts,’ Chelsin said.

Layla, a chartered accountant, and Chelsin married in 2018. Team-mates Siya Kolisi and Justin Geduld served as groomsmen, while Rachel Kolisi was a bridesmaid.

The couple now have two children Kylah and Mila Skye.

Source: Read Full Article