If Siya Kolisi makes a miraculous recovery from knee surgery in time to feature at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Racing 92 will reportedly block him from playing for the Springboks beyond the tournament in France.
Kolisi’s participation at this year’s World Cup depend on how long it takes him to return from an operation to repair a partial tear to his anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) as well as injured meniscus.
SIYA: The hard work starts now!
The 31-year-old loose forward is set to join Racing 92 after the tournament in France, having been granted an early release from his Sharks contract, which initially ran until 2027.
However, according to Sunday newspaper Rapport, a clause in the Racing contract may prevent him from representing the Springboks during his time in the Top 14. The report states that while the contract has been adjusted since then, Racing are still not keen for Kolisi to miss a bulk of the domestic season while on international duty.
Kolisi is among a group of Springboks who are in a race to prove their fitness for the World Cup squad announcement on 8 August. This includes centurion lock Eben Etzebeth, scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse and veteran centre Frans Steyn.
Etzebeth has already confirmed that he is confident of return to play in time for the truncated Rugby Championship in July, while further updates on Hendrikse and Steyn are still being awaited.
It is hoped that Kolisi’s decision to undergo surgery on his knee will help him recover in time for the World Cup.
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