Bok captain on his way back to South Africa?

NEWS: Less than a year after Springbok captain Siya Kolisi joined French outfit Racing 92, it is now rumoured that he has asked to be released from his contract to make a return to South Africa.

RugbyPass reports that the 33-year-old Kolisi could be on his way back to his former team in Durban, the Sharks.

The Springbok captain is one of the highest-paid players in the world, earning around ZAR19,6 million (€1 million) a season.

The terms of his release are still being negotiated with Racing but the French giants are likely to demand a substantial fee in return for granting his exit after they paid around ZAR17 million (€850 000) to buy out his deal with the Sharks.

The feeling is that SARU will pick up the bulk of the bill to get Kolisi back in South Africa where he can end off his career with the Sharks.

It is common knowledge that Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus prefers his captain to be based in South Africa.

He started his career with Western Province and the Stormers before moving to the Sharks in 2021. He left two years into a five-year contract to join Racing, where he played 18 times last season.

According to RugbyPass the Bok captain has had showdown talks with the club this week and requested to be allowed to leave La Defense Arena after failing to settle in Paris.

Kolisi returned to lead the Springboks in the two-Test series against Ireland and is currently in Australia with the national side preparing for two Tests against the Wallabies.

He is under contract at Racing until 2026.