South Africans grieve Rachel and Siya split

HUSBAND and father. That's still the status on Siya Kolisi’s social media accounts even after he and his wife Rachel dropped their divorce bombshell last week.

South Africans woke up to the joint announcement on Instagram on Tuesday morning in which the country’s first couple of sport said they were splitting, and thanked the country for its support.

“We are grateful for the love, understanding, and support you’ve shown us, and we kindly ask for your respect as we navigate this transition,” the message said.

The split made international headlines while South Africans were left gutted, many saying they never saw this coming.

Fans of the couple went into shock labelling it a national crisis and some even urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to call a “family meeting”.

For almost a decade the Kolisi’s have endeared themselves to Mzansi as the ideal “rainbow family” warming hearts with their dancing and singing on social media and snippets of life behind the scenes with their two children and Siya’s two siblings which the couple adopted as their own.

Amidst their personal crisis, the couple still presented a united front saying that the decision was made from a place of “love, respect, and understanding” and that it was the best way forward for both of them.

“While our relationship as a couple is changing, we remain great friends and committed partners in raising our children with the same love and care they’ve always known. We will also continue working together on the Foundation that means so much to us.”

Sunday Tribune reached out to a number of counsellors to talk about the divorce this week but no one felt qualified to comment.

In the run up to yesterday’s match against Munster at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, fans of the Springbok captain wondered if he was mentally up to the challenge to play for the Sharks who he recently rejoined.

However, Sharks coach John Plumtree said that he had trained well and that Kolisi was looking forward to playing at No 8 again.

“His personal business has nothing to do with us,” Plumtree said.

The coach made it clear that they were there to support him if needed. “We have many players who occasionally need help with their personal lives and when they come to us we go deep into it to help them. It is a sensitive thing with Siya and it is best that we stay out of it but we are here for him (if he needs us).”