Director of rugby Stuart Lancaster said Siya Kolisi’s decision to continue to play Test rugby contributed to the Springbok skipper and French club Racing 92 parting ways.
Racing on Sunday confirmed that Kolisi, who is on international duty and had not played for the Parisians this season, had been released from his contract with two years of his deal still to run. Less than 24 hours later, the Sharks announced that the loose forward had re-signed with the Durban outfit.
Kolisi, who turned 33 in June, told French newspaper L’Equipe on Sunday he was returning to South Africa because finding rest periods between a busy club schedule and Test commitments with the Boks was too difficult.
Reports prior to Kolisi joining Racing after the 2023 Rugby World Cup suggested there had been discussions between his representatives and the French Top 14 club over his international career.
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It is understood that Kolisi had considered retiring from Test rugby after leading the Boks to back-to-back world titles in France.
“The original plan was [for Kolisi] not to continue to play international rugby,” Lancaster told The Rugby Paper podcast.
“Once he decided to continue to play international rugby that changed the dynamic for both parties.
“If you’re a South African you’re playing 12 months of the year and at 33 years old it’s tough to do.”
Kolisi made 18 appearances for Racing last season, yet had faced sharp criticism from owner Jacky Lorenzetti over his conditioning at the back-end of the 2023-24 campaign. Kolisi’s family was reportedly also homesick in the French capital.
Photo: Christian Liewig – Corbis/Getty Images
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