Springboks stars Kolisi and Kolbe still chasing Rugby World Cup glory

Siya Kolisi and Cheslin Kolbe remain central to the Springboks as South Africa targets a third straight Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027. Kolisi, 35, says he will not retire before then, while Kolbe marked 50 Test caps at Ellis Park and is planning club and post-rugby wealth through his Stormers return.

Once written off as underdogs, Kolisi and Kolbe now define what it means to stay on top. Their July 2026 form matters because the Springboks open their Webb Ellis Cup defence against Italy in Adelaide on 3 October 2027 — and because both veterans are still fighting younger rivals for selection rather than coasting on reputation.

Key Takeaways

• Siya Kolisi has ruled out retirement and set the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia as his end goal, with Rassie Erasmus insisting selection stays performance-based.
• Cheslin Kolbe reached 50 Springbok Test caps against England at Ellis Park and remains a near-certain pick for Australia if he stays fit.
• Kolbe's multi-year Stormers return ties into planning for life after rugby, with Yormark calling him a modern underdog story who reached 50 caps against the odds.
• On 4 July 2026, Springboks women and US Eagles share a double header at Ellis Park while the men's Eagles face Portugal in Denver's Nations Cup opener.
• Longevity for both stars rests on hard work and no shortcuts — Kolisi was even filmed extra running along a Cape Town promenade ahead of camp.

Why are Kolisi and Kolbe still starting for the Springboks?

The longevity of senior Springboks such as Cheslin Kolbe and Siya Kolisi is down to hard work and no shortcuts, according to reporting from The Star. A few weeks before the Boks encamped for assignments against the Barbarians and England, footage of Kolisi running hard down a Cape Town promenade surfaced on social media — extra mileage from a captain who turned 35 on 16 June and refuses to let age define him.

Kolisi has his sights on one last Rugby World Cup hurrah in Australia. He will be 36 when South Africa opens its title defence against Italy in Adelaide on 3 October 2027. Alongside him at Ellis Park for the Nations Championship opener against England was Kolbe, who will turn 33 just before the tournament. Unless injury strikes, the utility back is considered a sure bet for Australia because he remains prepared to fight tooth and nail for his jersey.

That competitive edge mirrors a broader wealth lesson: elite income in sport rarely survives on past trophies alone. For readers tracking long-game career moves in our Wealth Hacks & Passive Income section, the Springboks duo show how reinvesting in fitness and form can extend a prime earning window well into a player's mid-thirties.

Has Siya Kolisi decided to retire before the 2027 Rugby World Cup?

No. Kolisi has made his intentions clear: retirement is not on the agenda. The double World Cup-winning captain told reporters he has no plans to walk away from international rugby and wants to continue through to the 2027 tournament in Australia, as Ruck.co.uk reported.

"My body feels good," Kolisi said. "It's all about seeing how it goes year by year and game by game. But that is the end goal. I still want to be there." Should he reach Australia, he would have a shot at something never achieved in the men's game — captaining his country to three consecutive Rugby World Cup titles.

Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has reinforced that age alone will not force anyone out. "Coach Rassie has made it clear that you can be 36, but if you are the fittest 36-year-old, that's all that you need," Kolisi said. "I don't need to be the fittest out of everyone. It's all about what I can do and produce on the field."

How is Cheslin Kolbe planning wealth and life after rugby?

Kolbe's rise is the kind of career arc that reshapes earning power. Yormark called him "the modern-day underdog story" — the player nobody expected to climb to the top who now has 50 caps for the green and gold, entirely against the odds.

Kolbe's return to Cape Town on a multi-year Stormers deal is framed as more than a homecoming. Yormark said it addresses a key question: "How does an athlete prepare for life after rugby or sport?" Kolbe is still in the absolute prime of his career, and the move keeps him competing at the highest level while building options beyond his playing days.

Financially, Kolbe sits among rugby's top earners. Ruck.co.uk ranks him as the highest-paid Springbok in Japan Rugby League One, earning an estimated £930,000 with Tokyo Sungoliath — reward for the footwork and versatility that keep him indispensable at Test level.

What does Fourth of July rugby mean for World Cup momentum?

While Kolisi and Kolbe prepared in Johannesburg, American rugby staged its own Independence Day push. As The Guardian noted, the US women's Eagles faced South Africa at Ellis Park in a double bill with the Springbok men hosting England — the same venue where Kolbe celebrated his 50th cap.

Women's captain Georgie Perris-Redding, born in Detroit but speaking with a Manchester accent, said her side was "trying to find a way to get some fireworks" on America's 250th birthday. Flanker Kate Zackary flew in after playing in England to mark her 50th cap against the Springbok Women, who rank 10th in the world to the US at eighth.

In Denver, Scott Lawrence's men's Eagles opened the World Rugby Nations Cup against Portugal — the team that denied the US a 2023 Rugby World Cup place with a dramatic Dubai draw and who arrived in Colorado as 2026 Rugby Europe champions. Lawrence stressed set-piece basics and kicking discipline against a side riding domestic momentum, while his squad reflected the diversity he says mirrors any US classroom.

For the Springboks, the global July window is a stress test before Australia 2027. For Kolisi and Kolbe, it is proof that underdogs who keep investing in their craft can remain top dogs when the Rugby World Cup returns.