Cheslin Kolbe announces book, Sidestepping the Odds, coming out in October

The double World Cup winner teamed up with award-winning writer and broadcaster David O'Sullivan as well as publisher Pan Macmillan for the memoir.

O’Sullivan is also the co-author with Rassie Erasmus of Rassie: Stories of Life and Rugby, the bestselling memoir of the Springbok coach.

"Cheslin Kolbe was never supposed to be a professional rugby player," reads the official press release in part.

"As a young boy growing up in Kraaifontein, he was consistently the smallest child on the rugby field. Time and again, coaches doubted his capability and selectors overlooked him, dismissing him as too light and too fragile to withstand the collisions of top-tier rugby.

"Where others saw his physical size as a permanent limitation, Kolbe saw a defining challenge. Refusing to let other people’s measurements define his worth, he actively sought out opponents who were bigger and stronger. While being knocked down taught him the force of the game, getting back up showed him that true courage could outsize any opponent. He learned to move quicker and to read the game faster, proving that rugby demands far more than size - it is
driven by heart, focus and belief."

Growing up on the Cape Flats in Kraaifontein, a successful career that took him to Toulouse, Toulon and Tokyo was never on the cards. But the hot-stepper made it happen. Reflecting on his journey to the Springboks, Kolbe revealed he was determined not to let his size be an issue.

"I grew up in a world of crime, drugs and violence, and was told I was too small to play rugby," said the 32-year-old.

"I refused to let these challenges defeat me. I want this book to inspire young people, and anyone who has ever been told they are not enough, to defy the odds, believe in themselves and remember that their circumstances do not define their future."

Cheslin Kolbe: Sidestepping the Odds will hit bookstores nationwide in October 2026.