Siya Kolisi's classy gesture after alleged Jordie Barrett snub
The double World Cup winning champion Springboks arrived in South Africa today, touching down at OR Tambo airport in Johannesburg to an overwhelming reception of thousands of adoring fans.
After making their way through the crowd, coach Jacques Nienaber and captain Siya Kolisi, joined by the Webb Ellis trophy, addressed the media to reflect on their tournament in general, and various moments in the 12-11 victory over New Zealand.
Just as time was coming to a close, Kolisi showed the kind of class we’ve come to expect from him, getting the attention of everyone in the room for one final comment.
“Just on a more of a sensitive note… I don’t know if you guys have seen, but after the game, there was a video that went out on TikTok about Jordie Barrett, that somebody thinks he didn’t shake the president’s hand,” the skipper explained.
“He’s been getting a lot of bad media, people are being hard on him. But obviously, it’s tough losing a World Cup final, and obviously getting that kind of negative media is not good, and I know him personally, he’s someone that I know very well… He’s not that kind of person.
“The video was taken probably after he shook the hand.. he obviously shook the president’s hand.”
Watch the alleged incident here:
They all shook Pres hand. The camera just cut back after Jordie had already done so and you can see Pres shakes Beauden’s hand as he comes up the stairs. Think we can all relax now. pic.twitter.com/uyfpdGDGhs
— JamesR (@Vlad_Drac77) October 31, 2023
“And we just want to say, we the South African team, I spoke to coach Jacques (Nienaber) about it, we are fully behind him. We respect New Zealand a lot, they respect us a lot, so please just give him some slack. Let’s just celebrate.
“There’s nothing worse than losing a game and then also being on (social) media and getting all these kind of messages. It’s really been tough for him, and obviously the team and his family, but the South African team, we’re all behind him.
“So please, if you can.. he did shake the president’s hand. Thank you.”
[WATCH] #Springboks captain Siya Kolisi comments on Jordie Barrett not shaking President Cyril Ramaphosa’s hand after the #RWC2023 final: “It’s tough losing a world cup final.” #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/6pdoisJ9Us
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) October 31, 2023
The Springboks will now embark on a four-day bus top trophy tour around the country, as they did in 2019, allowing fans to get closer to their heroes.
Starting on Thursday, 2 November, they will visit Pretoria, Johannesburg and Soweto, – concluding at FNB Stadium – and then Cape Town (Friday) and Durban (Saturday) before concluding in the Eastern Cape (East London) on Sunday.
On a related note, it looks as though South African fans have figured out how Barrett missed that all important long-range penalty kick late in the game.
— Bamsquad (@BoknRoll) October 30, 2023
Comments on RugbyPass
*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
29 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
226 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
226 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
16 Go to commentsI would like to see a rule change, when the attacking team is held up over the try line, by allowing the defensive team to restart a goal line drop out releases the pressure for the defensive team, but what if the attacking team had to restart a tap 5m out from the defensive team it gives the attacking team to apply more pressure, there are endless options for the attacking side and it will keep the fans in suspence.
2 Go to commentsLess modern South African males predictably triggered.
16 Go to commentsMy heart is with Quins, but the head is convinced Toulouse have too much. Ntamack is back, his timing and wisdom has been missed.
1 Go to commentsWow, what a starting line up for the Sharks) Tasty up front,kremer vs Tshituka or venter …fiery ,,Lavannini ,,will he knobble etzebeth? Biggest game for belleau?
1 Go to commentsIt was rubbish to watch, Blues weren’t even present. Did what they had to do, nothing more. Should be better next week against canes.
1 Go to commentsI’ve just noticed that this match has an all-French refereeing team. Surely a game like this ought to have a neutral ref? Although looking at the BBC preview of the Saints game, Raynal is also down as reffing that - so there may be some confusion about who is reffing what.
1 Go to commentsIf Havili can play anywhere in the back line, why not first 5. #10.
11 Go to commentsThe dressing room had already left for their summer break before they ran out in Dublin that year, and that’s on the coach. Franco Smith has undoubtedly made progress, particularly their maul, developing squad players and increasing squad depth. And against a very tight budget too. That said they were too lightweight last year and got found out against both Toulon and Munster in consecutive games. Better this season so far but they’ve developed something of a slow start habit occasionally, most notably losing at home to Northampton who played them at their own game. Play offs will ultimately show whether there has been tangible progress on last year, or not…!
2 Go to commentsAustralian Rugby has been a disaster, by not incorporating learning from previous successful campaigns. QLD Reds 2011 - Waratahs 2014. Players, coaches and administrators appoint there representatives for scheduled meetings, organisation’s agreement’s assessments and correspondence. This why a unified Rugby Union under one entity works. Every Rugby nation has taken that path. Was most difficult in the Northern hemisphere with over 100 years of club rugby before the game become professional. Took a lot of humility for those unions to eventually work together.
7 Go to commentsThough Wilson’s sacking was pretty brutal, it wasn’t just down to that Leinster game; Glasgow had a lot of 2nd half collapses that season, in the URC and Europe, and only just scraped into the playoffs. Franco Smith has definitely been an improvement, some players are delivering far more than they did under Wilson.
2 Go to comments