Cheslin Kolbe (born 28 October 1993) is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for Tokyo Sungoliath in the Japan Rugby League One and the South Africa national team.[2] His regular position is wing, but he also plays at fullback. He has also recently featured at fly half for Toulouse in the Top 14, and as a scrum half internationally. Kolbe was a member of the South Africa Sevens team that won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He has won the Rugby World Cup twice with South Africa, in 2019 and 2023. Kolbe was nominated for 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year but lost to teammate Pieter-Steph du Toit. He previously played for Toulouse, Toulon, Stormers, and Western Province. He has also won the Rugby Championship and the Lions Series with the Springboks, the Top14 and Champions Cup with Toulouse, the Currie Cup with Western Province, and the Challenge Cup with Toulon. He is one of the highest paid rugby players in the world, with a reported salary of between ¥130–155 million yen per season.
 Kolbe playing for South Africa in 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 28 October 1993 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Kraaifontein, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 75 kg (165 lb; 11 st 11 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Hoërskool Brackenfell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of the Free State | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Wayde van Niekerk (cousin) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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He has scored 14 tries in 31 tests for South Africa. He is one of the fastest rugby players ever with a time of 10.70 for the 100m. Kolbe is famous for his outstanding defensive capabilities-despite his diminutive frame-and stunning stepping and speed, as well as power in contact. He made his debut for South Africa in 2018 in a 23–18 loss to Australia. He rapidly became more well known and was soon regarded as a world-class player.
Early life
editKolbe played for Hoërskool Brackenfell. He represented Western Province at various youth levels, from the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week in 2009 to the 2012 Under-21 Provincial Championship.
Club career
editWestern Province
editHe made his provincial first class debut in their Vodacom Cup match against Boland Cavaliers.[3] and a month later he was named on the bench for the Stormers for their Super Rugby game against the Sharks.[4]
In October 2014, he was part of the Western Province team that won the Currie Cup by beating the Lions 19–16.[5]
He penned a three-year deal to remain at Western Province until 2016.[6]
Toulouse
editKolbe moved to France to join Top 14 side Toulouse for the 2017–2018 season.[7] Kolbe received a call-up to the South Africa national team for the 2018 Rugby Championship. He made his debut for South Africa against Australia on 8 September, during Round Three of the competition, coming on in the 33rd minute as an injury replacement for Makazole Mapimpi, in a match that South Africa lost 18–23.
In June 2019, Kolbe started for Stade Toulousain in the Top 14 final winning the French Championship. In 2021 Kolbe won both the European Cup and the Top 14 with Toulouse.
International career
editKolbe made his test debut in 2018 and played an important part in Springboks winning the 2019 Rugby Championship. On 2 November, Kolbe was part of the 2019 World-Cup winning team in Japan, scoring a try late in the second half of the Final against England. Kolbe was again instrumental in the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa, starting in all three test matches and the South Africa A match. Kolbe scored the Springboks' only try in the third and deciding test of the tour to propel South Africa to a series win. He was also instrumental to victory in the 2023 World Cup, where he received a yellow card and was sent off for a deliberate knock-on in the last ten minutes of the World Cup final, as South Africa held on to win 12–11 against New Zealand.
South Africa Under-20
editIn 2013, he was included in the training group that toured Argentina in preparation for the 2013 IRB Junior World Championship.[8] He was then included in the squad for the 2013 IRB Junior World Championship.[9]
National sevens team
editBetween 2012 and 2017, he represented the South Africa Sevens team. In 2013, he was included in the squad for the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens.[10] Kolbe was included in a 12-man squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.[11] He was named as a substitute for their first match in Group B of the competition against Spain, with South Africa winning the match 24–0.[12][13]
Honours
editWestern Province
- 2014 Currie Cup winner
Toulouse
- Heineken Cup European Champions/European Rugby Champions Cup: 2021
- Top 14 French League : 2019, 2021
Toulon
South Africa
- 2019 Rugby Championship winner
- 2019 Rugby World Cup winner
- 2019 World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year nominee
- 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa winner
- 2023 Qatar Airways Cup vs New Zealand at Twickenham winner
- 2023 Rugby World Cup winner
- 2024 Rugby Championship winner
South Africa 7's
- 2016 Olympics Bronze medal
Test Match record
edit- As of 16 November 2024
| Against | P | W | D | L | Tri | Pts | %Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 100 | |
| 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 75 | |
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 66.67 | |
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 100 | |
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 66.67 | |
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 100 | |
| 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 25 | |
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 100 | |
| 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 50 | |
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | |
| 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 75 | |
| Total | 39 | 28 | 1 | 10 | 18 | 111 | 71.79 |
Pld = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, Tri = Tries Scored, Pts = Points Scored
Test tries (18)
editPersonal life
editKolbe married Layla Cupido in 2018 and they have three children together.[14][15]
He is a devout Christian.[16][17]
Kolbe is a cousin of famous South African track and field sprinter Wayde van Niekerk,[17] who won the gold medal in the 400 metres at the 2016 Olympics and is the current 300m and 400m world record holder.
References
edit- ^ a b "Cheslin Kolbe player profile". rugbyworldcup.com. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Cheslin Kolbe". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Regent Boland Cavaliers 17–17 DHL Western Province". South African Rugby Union. 9 March 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
- ^ "Van Aswegen to start at flyhalf". Stormers. 10 April 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2013., then he took a year out to join moyvalley rugby club
- ^ http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/CurrieCup/WP-crowned-Currie-Cup-champs-20141025/accessdate=2015-09-14 [dead link]
- ^ "New deal for WP's Kolbe". Planet Rugby. 13 August 2013. Archived from the original on 27 December 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
- ^ "Communiqué officiel Cheslin Kolbe sera Stadiste en 2017-2018" (Press release) (in French). Stade Toulousain. 18 January 2017. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ^ "SA U20 training group named for Argentine tour". South African Rugby Union. 28 March 2013. Archived from the original on 7 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- ^ "Steenkamp leads powerful SA U20 JWC squad". South African Rugby Union. 25 April 2013. Archived from the original on 7 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- ^ "Kyle Brown back to command Springbok Sevens for Mission Moscow". South African Rugby Union. 20 June 2013. Archived from the original on 7 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- ^ "Rugby Sevens squad for Olympics named". South African Rugby Union. 14 July 2016. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ^ "Men Schedule & Results – Olympic Rugby Sevens (RSA–ESP)". Rio 2016. 9 August 2016. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ^ "Olympic Games Men's Sevens, Match 2". World Rugby. 9 August 2016. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ^ "Cheslin Kolbe ties the knot on Top Billing". www.topbilling.com. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ Karimi, Cindy (7 July 2023). "Rugby WAGS: Meet Layla Kolbe, Cheslin Kolbe's wife [Pics]". The South African. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ "Twee neefs soek goud". Netwerk24 (in Afrikaans). 16 July 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- ^ a b de Villiers, Ockert (17 July 2016). "Rio a family affair for Wayde, Cheslin". Independent Online. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
External links
edit- Cheslin Kolbe at the World Rugby Men's Sevens Series (archived)
- Cheslin Kolbe at ESPNscrum
- Cheslin Kolbe at ItsRugby.co.uk
- Cheslin Kolbe at Olympedia
- Cheslin Kolbe at Springboks.rugby