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Springbok star Cheslin Kolbe has gone viral over post-match act of humility but not all fans are pleased
Springboks star and World Cup hero Cheslin Kolbe has gone viral after Toulouse’s Champions Cup win over Munster, but not for his usual hot-stepping deeds.
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Toulouse had earlier come back from a 16-9 deficit to defeat Munster 40-33 at Thomond Park in a crowdless fixture.
Kolbe was involved in the lead-up to a smart try to Antoine Dupont with thirteen minutes remaining, which gave the visitors the lead for the final time. After a Romain Ntamack penalty, Dupont sealed the game with his second try with just three minutes to go.
As the players began to disperse the field after the final whistle, the Springboks winger was seen picking up rubbish and empty plastic bottles left by the teams from around the ground. A video shared by BT Sport on Twitter had over 200,000 views and attracted hundreds of comments.
Cheslin Kolbe, arguably the best player in the world right now, cleaning up rubbish around the pitch at Thomond Park after full-time…
This is what it's all about ??#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/LviV26kFiW
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) April 3, 2021
Kolbe’s humble act earned enormous praise online, with the star showered with admiration for taking the time to keep the pitch clean. Fans called him a ‘legend’, ‘still humble’ and a ‘great player’ with a ‘great attitude’.
One Irish fan even applauded the efforts of the IRFU to get more South Africans with character like Kolbe playing in Ireland for Pro14 clubs.
God bless this beautiful man ?? #SaffasAbroad #Rugby @StadeToulousain @Cheslin_Kolbe11 https://t.co/G7VyZZSbxh
— Darren (@SaffasRugby) April 3, 2021
Culture is so important. The standard you walk past is the standard you accept. System leaders be more like Cheslin Kolbe. https://t.co/RcKYXJsX85
— Cathal Lynch (@CathalLynch) April 3, 2021
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https://twitter.com/bigbossmansteo/status/1378433308812570631
Legend ??
— Kai Horstmann (@KaiHorstmann) April 3, 2021
A man who never forgot his roots, and is world class showing everyone he is still humble. A lesson to all ????
— Kev Robbo (@robbo4614) April 3, 2021
Great player, great attitude. Humility above all else.
— Three Hares (@TinnersRabbits) April 3, 2021
Legend. And proud to call him South African
— Deeolan Govender (@DeeolanGovender) April 3, 2021
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They could do with him down Cardiff Bay right now.
— Mick Parry (@MichaelParry3) April 3, 2021
He is humble like the Japanese. A great player and a great human.
— Mickey (@mikewildthing) April 3, 2021
Other fans were less applauding of the Springboks star, focused on letting everyone know of their disapproval of the other players leaving their rubbish around the pitch in the first place.
One fan wrote ‘put it in the bin and let the cameras see you putting it in the bin’ to show the youngsters what needed to be done in the first instance. Another wrote ‘all that single-use plastic’ is a disgrace, and that you never see it in football.
Although great that Cheslin cares enough, is humble enough actually what it’s about is that pro players should not set a bad example by throwing their rubbish on the pitch in first place. Put it in the bin and let the cameras see you putting it in the bin – show the youngsters..
— Andrew Banks (@andrewbankswood) April 3, 2021
That’s the very least he could do. All that single-use plastic, it’s a disgrace and he’s a disgrace for contributing to it. You literally NEVER see this in football
— Mr Bobby (@MrNameNo) April 3, 2021
Another South African fan used the opportunity to bring up England and wearing medals again, saying this is the difference between champions and second place. It seems wearing silver medals and picking up rubbish have little in common, however, and the comment was lambasted by other fans.
That’s the difference between champions and England. It’s about mindset. England players after the WC removing their medals, the chips their props have in their shoulders, and a coach that thinks it’s acceptable. You have to be a human champion before you can rise to greatness.
— Rich Sinclair (@RichRSin) April 3, 2021
What has Cheslin Kolbe picking up empty bottle caps got to do with England rugby..
? warrior— RA (@biogasmouse) April 3, 2021
Why live in England with that big chip on your shoulder ? It’s ridiculous how you clutch at straws to find anything to have a dig at England over something that happened 18 months ago ????
— Adam Warwick (@AdamWarwick86) April 3, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Good to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
17 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
17 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
7 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
7 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
17 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
17 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
7 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
17 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
17 Go to comments