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- Herausgeber: Jonathan Ball
- Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
- Sprache: Englisch
Cheslin roared with happiness as the final whistle blew in Yokohama. They were champions! Later, as his captain lifted the 2019 Rugby World Cup trophy into the air, he felt prouder than he'd ever been before — of himself, his team and his country. Cheslin Kolbe tells the story of a kid from Kraaifontein, Cape Town, whose talent took him to international sports stardom, first to Toulouse, France, and eventually to the call-up that would change his life forever: to play for the Springbok 2019 World Cup squad. It's the heartwarming story of a small player with a big heart whose signature sidestep helped the Springboks win the World Cup trophy for South Africa. Cheslin Kolbe is part of the "Road to Glory" series, which covers some of South Africa's sporting legends as they set out on their journeys to becoming national and international stars.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020
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Jonathan Ball Publishers
Cape Town • Johannesburg • London
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page
CHAPTER 1 CHESLIN – A SPRINGBOK CHAMPION
CHAPTER 2 LEARNING FROM HIS FATHER
CHAPTER 3 DISCOVERING HIS SPEED
CHAPTER 4 SCHOOL DAYS
CHAPTER 5 LEARNING THE SIDESTEP
CHAPTER 6 HANDLING HIGH SCHOOL
CHAPTER 7 TIME TO MOVE ON?
CHAPTER 8 TURNING PRO
CHAPTER 9 GOOD THINGS KEEP HAPPENING
CHAPTER 10 A CHAMPIONSHIP YEAR
CHAPTER 11 SEEING THE WORLD
CHAPTER 12 SOME DREAMS COME TRUE
CHAPTER 13 FROM DREAM TO NIGHTMARE
CHAPTER 14 MOVING TO FRANCE
CHAPTER 15 THE CALL COMES AT LAST
CHAPTER 16 A SUCCESSFUL YEAR
CHAPTER 17 WORLD CHAMPIONS
Sources
Classroom activities
Author’s note
About the Book
Also available in the Road to Glory series
Imprint Page
CHAPTER 1
CHESLIN – A SPRINGBOK CHAMPION
The roar of the crowd was deafening. The lights seemed to shine brighter than ever, and it felt as though every camera and microphone on earth was pointing directly at the field. Cheslin Kolbe, can you believe it? Here you are – standing on the field in Japan’s Yokohama Stadium, seconds away from playing against England in the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final! Cheslin almost pinched himself to check whether it was real.
For as long as Cheslin could remember, this had been his dream. Morning after morning, training towards this goal had pulled him out of bed and into the gym. Now, as he looked around at the packed stadium, the wall of cameras and the cheering fans, he realised just how much he had achieved.
The Springboks were considered the underdogs against England in this match. Only a week earlier, England had been unstoppable against New Zealand’s All Blacks in the semi-finals, whereas the Springboks had had to work hard to beat Wales.
But Cheslin knew that anything could happen in a final.
He and his teammates lined up to sing the National Anthem and give each other some last-minute motivation, and then the game was on. At these big games, the pre-game tension was so enormous that it was a relief when the whistle blew and the flyhalf hoisted the ball into the air.
From the start, the South Africans played beautifully. In scrum after scrum, the dominant forward pack shoved England backwards, forcing them to make errors and give away penalties. At half-time the Boks were leading 12 points to six, thanks to four pinpoint penalty kicks from Handré Pollard and some fierce defending – especially from Faf de Klerk and Cheslin, both of whom were bringing down players double their size.
As the pressure on them mounted, England kept making mistakes and the Springboks kept growing more confident.
Back home in South Africa, thousands of rugby fans sat glued to screens and radios, as the excited voice of the commentator blared out: ‘It’s the 66th minute, and the ball is out on the left wing. Makazole Mapimpi chips it beautifully over the defence. It’s gathered by Lukhanyo Am, who takes a few paces and delivers a no-look pass back to Mapimpi … and Mapimpi goes over for the first try of the match! The crowd is going wild, and the Boks are looking unstoppable!’
By the 74th minute, the Springboks were ahead by 25 points to 12. With only six minutes to go, it looked like a sure win for South Africa.
After a crunching tackle on the halfway line, one of the English players dropped the ball. It was scooped up by Lukhanyo Am, who offloaded it into the arms of Pieter-Steph du Toit, who passed it out quickly to Cheslin. The pass was a little too high but Cheslin adjusted instantly, jumping to gather the ball without breaking his stride. He had some space ahead of him, so he sped up, all the time keeping a close watch on two large English players who were stalking him.
Cheslin feinted to the left, sold a dummy, stepped right, then left, and burst through the arms of England’s captain, Owen Farrell. It was the kind of move he was famous for and it left England’s defenders looking like amateurs. In seconds he was ahead, over the line and dotting the ball down firmly.
Cheslin pumped his fist in victory as he jogged towards the crowd. At that moment, all the fight went out of the English team.
A few minutes later, the final whistle blew, the crowd roared their approval and the dream became reality. South Africa had won the 2019 Rugby World Cup with a score of 32 points to 12. The shocked and grateful players hugged each other, many in tears. Some fell to their knees. For every member of the squad, this was the biggest moment of his career.
Cheslin spent the next few hours in a daze. The medals were handed out and South African captain Siya Kolisi triumphantly held up the gleaming trophy. There was singing and dancing, phone calls from family and friends, handshaking, high-fiving, backslapping and congratulations from celebrities and dignitaries. Cheslin felt dizzy with emotion and the non-stop joyful whirlwind of celebrations.
As he lay in bed much later that night, Cheslin thought about the expressions on the faces of his teammates and coach in that final moment of the game. They had put so much faith in him, and he was deeply grateful to have rewarded them with a great performance. Everyone had played their part perfectly.
Cheslin knew that everything changes after you become a world champion, but it was only when the Springboks arrived back in South Africa that he experienced what that meant.
For everyone in the squad, this was the biggest moment of his career.
At the airport, a huge crowd of excited fans was waiting – black and white, men and women, old and young – and they were all dancing and singing together. Most people in the country had had a tough year and needed some good news. The Boks had given it to them and now they wanted to celebrate.
Two days later, the team started on a tour around the country. They drove by bus from Pretoria to Johannesburg and Soweto, where cheering crowds followed them every step of the way. The players smiled and waved from the open-topped bus, displaying the trophy, posing for selfies and soaking up the fans’ love and affection.
Next, they flew to Durban, where the crowds showed the same support and enthusiasm. Then on to East London and an incredible day in Port Elizabeth, where the team visited Zwide, the sprawling township where Siya Kolisi was born and learned to play the game. The sight of Siya being embraced by his joyful fans was one Cheslin would always remember.
He was impatient to get to his own home town, Cape Town, the last stop on their tour. He looked forward to driving down familiar streets and seeing the people he had been away from for so long.
The team arrived in Cape Town on Monday 11 November. It was a normal working day, but thousands of people came out into the streets to pay tribute to their heroes and to thank them for bringing pride and joy back to South Africans. Cheslin felt a lump in his throat as he looked down on the crowded streets and up at the famous Table Mountain in the background.
The last time the Springboks had won the Rugby World Cup, in 2007, Cheslin had been a young teenager. He had clear memories of watching the team celebrating their victory and over the years had wondered what it would feel like. To experience it now was overwhelming.
As the bus turned into Loop Street on the final leg of their tour, he saw a father hoisting his small son onto his shoulders so that the little boy could see better. The scene brought a very special memory back to Cheslin.
CHAPTER 2
LEARNING FROM HIS FATHER
It was late afternoon in Parow and six-year-old Cheslin was waiting impatiently in his dad’s car outside the factory where he worked. The two of them were going to watch the Stormers play at Newlands but his dad was taking his time. Finally, Cheslin saw him shaking hands with a couple of colleagues and waving goodbye. He ran to the car, jumped in, and slammed the door shut.
‘We’re going to miss the fireworks show,’ said Cheslin sadly.
‘Sorry that took so long, my boy. People kept asking me for advice and I couldn’t say no,’ explained his dad.
‘Are you the boss of all those people?’
‘Not exactly, Chessie. But I know a thing or two,’ he replied as he swung their old car into the traffic heading for town. ‘And here’s something else I know: if we beat the Highlanders tonight, we’re definitely celebrating!’
‘Ice cream?’ asked Cheslin.
His dad nodded and laughed. ‘Piles of the stuff!’ he shouted and turned up the radio loud.
