Share

Bok captain Siya Kolisi: how my drinking nearly cost me my relationship

accreditation
Share your Subscriber Article
You have 5 articles to share every month. Send this story to a friend!
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
loading...
Loading, please wait...
0:00
play article
Subscribers can listen to this article
Siya Kolisi says his drinking habits brought his relationship with wife Rachel to a crossroads. (PHOTO: Instagram/ Siya_Kolisi_The_Bear)
Siya Kolisi says his drinking habits brought his relationship with wife Rachel to a crossroads. (PHOTO: Instagram/ Siya_Kolisi_The_Bear)

It was 19 May 2012. We’d just beaten the Waratahs in a pretty dull Super Rugby game at Newlands, and I went to Gino’s, an Italian restaurant in Stellenbosch, with my girlfriend at the time, some of the Waratahs’ boys and the cousin of a woman named Rachel Smith. 

We’d been there a while when Rachel arrived with her brother and sister. She didn’t think I was anything special: in fact, she thought I was quite rude because when they arrived I was sitting in a corner and didn’t get up or say hi to them. 

Then she sat down on the other side of the table, so I didn’t really speak to her too much all evening. But there was something about her that really got to me. 

Read this for free
Get 14 days free to read all our investigative and in-depth journalism. Thereafter you will be billed R75 per month. You can cancel anytime and if you cancel within 14 days you won't be billed.
Try FREE for 14 days
Already a subscriber? Sign in
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()