Pride is all that's at stake as Siya Kolisi wraps up Sharks contract

The flanker is set to bid adieu to the Durban franchise later this month. He will return to his family in Cape Town and don the blue and white hoops of the Stormers once again.

Kolisi was part of a slew of Boks that joined the Sharks in the wake of MVM Holdings' takeover in 2021, which pumped significant money into the club.

The talismanic leader's tenure was interrupted twice. First, he joined Racing 92 in 2023 but reversed his decision after 18 matches, with the club owner calling him 'transparent' on the field. Then Kolisi blew his ACL in April 2023. While he missed the business end of the Sharks' season, superb medical care and the miracles of modern medicine teed him up for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, where the Boks defended their title.

All this while experiencing Durban with his friend Eben Etzebeth, along with Bok teammates such as Ox Nche, Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi. So while its been tumultuous, Kolisi is already looking back fondly on his time in the KwaZulu-Natal sunshine.

"For me, it's been tough, it's going to be hard to say goodbye to the boys," the double World Cup-winning captain told the press this week.

"It's been a special place. Thank you so much to the people of KZN for welcoming me and my family. My kids love coming here; they really enjoy supporting the team, they love the city itself and they love the people here.

"I'm going to enjoy the last two weeks and enjoy the city and KZN as much as I can.

"Thank you to the people here, thank you to the Sharks for everything they've done for me and for supporting me in everything, and for understanding how important family is - not just saying it, but helping me get closer to my kids.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the supporters for the last two weeks and to saying goodbye properly to everyone."

It's been a disappointing season for the Sharks. Stacked with talent, they have largely flattered to deceive. Coach John Plumtree departed in late 2025 and they enjoyed a brief resurgence, but ultimately, their Challenge Cup exit was followed shortly by bowing out of the United Rugby Championship playoff race.

The final two weeks of the URC season are all about pride for the Sharks as they host Italian teams Benetton and Zebre in front of the Durban faithful.

"It's been a tough week for us with not making the top eight," admitted Kolisi.

"We are really disappointed, especially with the group that we have. We definitely should have qualified for that. We have no excuses for that.

"We want to make sure that we finish strong for the season. It hurts us the way the fans have been supporting us so much and we couldn't deliver for them, for the club itself."