Western Province confirm Siya Kolisi departure

Western Province confirm Siya Kolisi departure

The Western Province Rugby Union has confirmed that Springbok captain Siya Kolisi has parted ways with the Cape Town outfit.


SiyaKolisi_Stormers_AFP
AFP


There have been widespread reports that Kolisi would be joining the Sharks since January 2021, after the Durban outfit sold a controlling share of the franchise to American-owned consortium MVM Holdings.


The investment firm had been courting Western Province for a major portion of 2020, before that deal fell through and MVM approached the Sharks with similar terms that were then agreed upon last month. As East Coast Radio reported at the time, Kolisi has a number of ties to MVM Holdings and was tipped to move to the East Coast once MVM and the Sharks had agreed terms.


Kolisi’s new management firm RocNations’ international president Michael Yormack is a member of MVM Holdings and Kolisi’s teenage benefactor Vincent Mai, a renowned South African businessman and philanthropist, is also a member of the firm. MVM Holdings is headed up by New York based attorney Macro Massotti, who originally hails from Amanzimtoti on the KZN South Coast. 


WP confirm Kolisi departure after 11 years of service


According to an official announcement from The Stormers, Kolisi’s contract was set to end in October 2021 but the Rugby World Cup winning Springbok captain opted not re-sign with the Cape Town side.


The Stormers release says that the Western Province Rugby Union ‘did everything possible to re-sign’ Kolisi and have agreed to release him early from his contract, on acceptance of a transfer fee.


Kolisi leaves the Stormers as the second most capped Super Rugby player in the franchise. His 118 Super Rugby caps were just five short of the 123 caps that former Springbok flank Schalk Burger had amassed during his time at Newlands.


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