Cheslin Kolbe’s athletic prowess, versatility and clinical finishing ability make him a formidable force on the rugby field. Recently, he was honoured as the SA Rugby Men’s Player of the Year. He became the first backline player since 2013 to receive this prestigious award. Beyond his on-field achievements, Kolbe is actively involved in philanthropic endeavours. Notably, his foundation focuses on empowering underprivileged youth through sports and education.
Last year, MH caught up with Kolbe to discuss his journey—from overcoming doubts about his size and battling career-threatening injuries to securing back-to-back Rugby World Cup victories. He shares insights into his mental resilience, the highs and lows of his career, and the mindset that has propelled him to the top of the sport.
A Historic Victory
Draped in his country’s flag, Cheslin Kolbe grins as he brandishes the Webb Ellis Cup. The coveted prize sparkles in the light of a hundred camera flashes. He’s elated and relieved, but it also feels unreal. The Springboks (and Kolbe) have made history at the Stade de France, becoming one of just two nations to win the World Cup in back-to-back tournaments.
An incredible feat that for many minutes, of many games, seemed almost impossible. From the first matches in the group stages until that final bout, the Springboks were forced to dig deep to snatch victory from the jaws of an always looming defeat. “It felt like we were fighting for our lives every time we went out there,” says Kolbe, citing nail-biters against France, England and eventually New Zealand, where a single point separated the Bokke from heartbreak.
That sort of relentless tenacity requires serious mental resilience and the Springboks, as a team, had it in spades. But this big-match temperament doesn’t come easy, something Kolbe knows all too well. Just months before the wing would re-cement his name in the history books, the 30-year-old was considering calling it quits on his career… for good.
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“It’s unbeliveable to think about now, but I was getting ready to retire,” admits Kolbe. After suffering a string of debilitating injuries—a broken thumb, torn hamstring, a twisted ankle—he’d spent more time on the sidelines than on the pitch. His confidence was crushed: “It felt like my body was falling apart… I couldn’t understand why this was happening to me,” he says. However, at the back of his mind, there was always a voice urging him to fight. Instead of throwing in the towel, he embraced these new challenges to rise from the ashes stronger than ever.
Against the Odds
Kolbe is used to people doubting him. It’s been happening since he was a kid. “Due to my size and stature, there were tons of people who thought I’d never cut it as a rugby player,” he says. Back then, coaches were looking for the traditional archetype: literal giants who could dominate the pitch with raw physicality alone. Kolbe didn’t fit the mould, but that never deterred him. “I think it motivated me,” he says. “I know my purpose and what I want to achieve… It was always going to be up to me.” The dream of becoming a sports star first took root during touch rugby games on the streets of Cape Town’s Kraaifontein. In a way, these pickup sessions represented an antidote to the “darker elements” of the neighbourhood. Kolbe recalls a close-knit community, but also rampant drug use, alcoholism and gang violence.
It wasn’t uncommon for his touch rugby games to be interrupted (and brought to an end) by a rattle of gunfire. But he was fortunate, he admits, to have two strong role models in his mother and father. “They weren’t just role models to me, but to the community as a whole,” says Kolbe. His dad, Andrew, had been a promising rugby talent and his mentorship has been invaluable to his son’s success. “In our household, respect and discipline were paramount,” adds Kolbe.
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“But my father would always remind me to make use of every opportunity I’m given.” In an area like Kraaifontein, chances to break out are rare and you have little margin for error, he says. “But my parents went the extra mile for [me and my sister] to make sure we had every opportunity possible,” he says. “It was down to me to follow through.”
Breaking Through
What Kolbe lacked in size, he made up for in speed, skill and tenacity. Even at a young age, it was clear that Kolbe possessed the sort of dynamism that could win matches. He was capable of exploiting the smallest gaps in seemingly impenetrable defenses and finishing with clinical precision. Yes, there were plenty of coaches who still wrote him off, but others—those with their fingers on the pulse of a constantly evolving sport—were taking notice.
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By 2012, he broke onto the professional scene, making his first-class provincial debut for Western Province during the Vodacom Cup. He’d go on to notch a string of impressive performances; notably, helping his side win the Currie Cup in 2014. But he wasn’t without his naysayers. His size remained a bone of contention. If he missed a tackle, it was because he was too small. If he held his ground and managed to bring down a hulking Goliath… well, he was just lucky.
“It definitely got to me sometimes,” he admits. “But over the years, the teams I’ve been a part of and the coaches who believed in me, I started building the confidence to play my own game… I also learned that it was important to enjoy myself out there.” That signature style eventually landed him a spot on the Springboks in 2018, and a year later he scored a crucial try to secure a World Cup victory. Laughing, he says he’s sure that “the naysayers” might still find something to complain about. However, we think his record speaks for itself.
Mental Fortitude
“I’ve been meditating my whole life,” says Kolbe. “But the funny thing is I didn’t know I was doing it until much later.” Whether it’s before a big game or during a hectic training week, the rugby player takes regular breaks to shut his eyes, catch a few deep breaths and clear his head. It helps dial down the noise and saves him from getting caught up in negative thought patterns. In short, it’s been his saving grace in times of adversity. But it’s just one of many powerful mental tricks in his toolkit. “I think what’s also helped me immensely is reaching out to others,” he says.
“Whether it’s my coaches, ex-players or my teammates, I value their feedback. In tough times, their support has helped me feel like I’m not alone, and it’s given me the blueprint to deal with these situations.” However, when a string of injuries threatened to put a premature end to his rugby career, not even these safeguards could save him from running off the rails… at least initially.
It was 2022, and he had just recently joined the French rugby side Toulon after a successful four-year stint at Toulouse. But hopes of a strong start were dashed after he was dealt blow after blow, suffering serious injuries that left him sidelined for months at a time. “I’d manage to play two or three games and then suffer another one,” he says. “After some time it felt like my body was giving up on me.”
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Kolbe had always been strict about leaving work at the “gate” after his training sessions or games, but the slew of injuries was eroding his mental resilience. “Those doubts were following me everywhere,” he admits. “I would be at home and couldn’t stop brooding… I just couldn’t switch off.”
After suffering another injury, he was called in by the club’s president and asked, not quite politely, if he could simply just leave the team. “I’ve never been in that position before, you know, just being told, ‘Hey, we don’t want you anymore’,” he says. “I mean, I understand their POV, they were paying me and I wasn’t playing… but still, it felt like a serious knock.”
Redemption
Slowly, the world began inching closer and closer to the Rugby World Cup, and amidst his daily struggles, Kolbe began to worry whether he could make the cut for SA’s squad. He’d played an instrumental role in helping the Springboks bring home the glory in the 2019 iteration of the tournament, but recently he’d barely played rugby at all.
That’s when thoughts of retirement were at their strongest, the points in time where self-doubt and an inability to overcome his injuries converged to form a seemingly immovable obstacle. But instead of wallowing in these negative thoughts, he decided to pick up the phone. He spoke to the Boks’ coaching team, laid out his struggles and then asked if he was still part of their plans.
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“They told me: ‘Yes, so hang in there, stay in the fight and push through it’,” says Kolbe. It took plenty of courage for the sports star to humble himself like this, but that phone call was a galvanising moment. With a glimmer of hope that he could still represent his nation in the World Cup, he started training twice as hard, slowly reforging his body and mind.
There would be redemption for Kolbe, too, long before his feats at the World Cup. Just months after he was asked to step down from his club, he helped Toulon to a decisive victory against the Glasgow Warriors in the Challenge Cup final. Kolbe was named man of the match.
A Dramatic Finale
It’s the 73rd minute of the 2023 World Cup final. The Springboks are holding strong against a relentless All-Blacks attack. Despite being down a man due to a red card early in the first half, New Zealand is constantly threatening to break through SA’s lines to crush the nation’s hopes of a much-needed victory. NZ is on the attack again, gaps are opening up in South Africa’s defense, a pass is thrown and then… disaster… “It was such a big mistake,” admits Kolbe as he reflects on the moment the ball hit his hand and was deemed a deliberate slap down. His stomach sinks before the referee can even fish out the yellow card.
He looks at the clock, he knows he’s not going back out on the field. “In that moment I felt like I let the whole nation down,” he says. Walking off to the bench, Kolbe sits down and pulls his shirt over his face. Under the fabric, his mind is running at full speed. He’s imagining the fingers that will be pointed his way if the Springboks don’t emerge victorious.
He’s thinking of all the difficult games the team has survived only for him to throw it all away in the final minutes. He’s crying, but he’s also praying that his teammates can hold strong, which they do. Kolbe doesn’t hear the final whistle, he’s still bundled up in his cocoon of quiet contemplation.
There’s a tap on his shoulder and he emerges to see his coach. “He says to me, ‘The game is done’, and I look to see my team celebrating,” he says. In an instant, his inner turmoil is replaced with a flood of relief and then jubilation. For Kolbe, that finale perfectly illustrates the up-and-down nature of the sport: “You have so many highs and so many lows… You just have to learn to go with the flow.”
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The journey to his second World Cup victory has been a redemption arc for the tenacious player, a process that has helped him tap into higher levels of mental fortitude than ever before. He began the year with plans of retiring only to finish in a blaze of glory, a stark reminder that the mind always trumps matter—no matter the odds. And his newfound resilience will serve him well in the coming years.
At the time of going to print, Kolbe had just joined Tokyo Sungoliath in the Japan Rugby League, a move that has seen him bid farewell to France after a seven-year-long stint in the country. It’s also the first time since his move to Europe that he’ll be living without his wife and three children. “They’ve been my support network, and I have to learn to adjust,” he says. “But I always remember that I do this for them, it’s bigger than me—I know my purpose.”
*Cheslin Kolbe was profiled as part of a feature that appeared in the Mar/Apr 2024 issue of Men’s Health SA
