GQ Men Of The Year 2019

To recognise the men and women who shape our cultural landscape, and the most intelligent and inspirational people of the year, we’re thrilled to introduce, for the first time in South Africa, the GQ Men of the Year awards.

- Shannon Manuel, Thobeka Phanyeko, Jason A Basson, Nkosiyati Khumalo, Grant Shub

YEAR OF TWENTY

SIYA KOLISI

FEW COULD HAVE CARRIED THE HOPES OF A NATION on their shoulders with as much dignity, humility and hope than our victorious Springbok captain

‘I REMEMBER MY FIRST SHOOT AND INTERVIEW WITH GQ IN 2012,’ Kolisi says with a smile. ‘I wasn’t a Springbok back then and in hindsight I’d tell my 21-year-old self to work harder and prepare more.’

Fast forward seven years and Kolisi led the men in green and gold to victory at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. His journey from the dusty streets of Zwide, a township in the Eastern Cape, to the world stage is what dreams are made of.

He reveals that taking on the Springbok captaincy came with a unique set of challenges, but he is more settled in the role having matured as a player and a person. ‘The Springbok captaincy was tough in the beginning because it’s a huge responsibility. You try not to think about it too much, but you can see that the captaincy affected me when I was playing last season,’ he admits. ‘Everyone is expecting so much of you and you’re expecting so much of yourself.’

I asked Siya in May what his expectations are ahead of his second World Cup campaign and his first as skipper. He offers an emphatic response: The Springboks are going to the global showpiece to reign supreme and claim their third World Cup title, after the historic triumphs at the 1995 and 2007 tournaments. ‘We are excited about the World Cup and are going to Japan to win. We’re not travelling there for the sake of it. We open our account against the All Blacks and I believe there is nothing better than starting with a difficult encounter. It is the best way to see where we are at by playing that game.’- GRANT SHUB