Springbok, Stormers and Western Province captain Siya Kolisi has been at the centre of a rumoured move to the Sharks in recent weeks.
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But has the 2019 Rugby World Cup-winning skipper just pledged his allegiance to WP Rugby – without actually saying so?
Kolisi took to social media late on Monday to post a largely random image of him wearing a WP jersey.
AT FACE VALUE KOLISI’S POST APPEARED INNOCUOUS
At face value, the post to his over 560 000 Instagram followers looked largely innocuous.
But upon closer inspection it was the tags and the ‘comment’ in particular that Siya Kolisi added that has rugby fans wondering.
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Kolisi made special mention – 3 times over – of WP’s sponsors DHL, tagging #dhlwp, #dhlrugby and #dhlafrica, but it was the addition of simple blue and white dots in the comments section that had followers interpreting that as meaning the 29-year-old had decided to stay in the Cape.
That is if he even at any stage entertained the notion of packing his bags and heading for KwaZulu-Natal.
Blue and white are of course WP’s famous colours – and a far cry from the black and white of the Sharks.
One follower was quick to post: So you not going to the Sharks without saying you’re not going to the sharks 😅😅😅….
While another wrote: I don’t see him leaving WP. This post in itself is a sign. I could never imagine him wrestling the black and white and being proud to do so. We don’t want someone to be forced into playing for a team he doesn’t want to play for.
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The rumours of Siya Kolisi signing for the Sharks originated following the KwaZulu-Natal union’s recent deal to sell a majority (51%) share to American consortium MVM Holdings.
MVM Holdings, headed by Amamzintoti-raised New York attorney Marco Masotti, had previously attempted to purchase a similar controlling share in WP Rugby for a reported $6 million.
That deal fell flat.
Among Masotti’s partners is Michael Yormark, the president of Roc Nation Sports International, who count Kolisi as one of their clients (as well as Springbok sensation Cheslin Kolbe, but that’s a story for another day).
It therefore seemingly made sense that Roc Nation Sports International – as well as MVM Holdings – wouldn’t want a client of theirs playing against the team they controlled.
SIYA KOLISI’S CONTRACT WITH WP RUGBY ENDS LATER IN 2021
And MVM Holdings have dollars – lots of them. And Kolisi comes off his contract at WP Rugby after this year’s British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa.
You do the maths.
But has Siya Kolisi, without saying as much, pledged his allegiance to WP Rugby before an official Sharks offer was even tabled?
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