- Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe grew up in Scottsville, Kraaifontein, an area he describes as defined by gangsterism, narcotics, and poverty
- Kolbe spoke candidly about his childhood on the For the Love of Rugby South Africa podcast, revealing what life was like on the streets
- The Springbok star said rugby gave him an escape and now drives him to mentor young people across South Africa
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Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe has opened up about the harsh realities of his childhood in Scottsville, Kraaifontein, saying rugby was the lifeline that kept him from a very different path.
Speaking on the For the Love of Rugby South Africa podcast with former Stormers and Springbok teammate Steven Kitshoff, Kolbe was honest about what growing up in his community looked like.
"If you ask anyone, the first thing that comes to mind is gangsterism, narcotics, poverty," he said.
He described moments that would have unsettled most children but had become ordinary for those who grew up there. Kids would be playing touch or tag rugby in the street and, without warning, gunshots would ring out in the middle of the day.
"The way I look back at it now, that was the norm for us growing up in that environment, because that's all we knew, that's all we saw and that's what we got exposed to at quite a young age," Kolbe said, according to SA Rugby Magazine.
"But I wouldn't change it for the world, to be honest. It's made me mentally and personally much stronger as a human being."
Rugby as a Lifeline
For Kolbe, sport was more than a career. It was a way out of circumstances that swallowed many around him whole.
"What inspires or challenges me more, for what the rugby has given me, that escape from falling into the easy route of being a gangster, selling narcotics or whatever the case might be, is just wanting to go back into not just my community but across South Africa, because there are so many other communities faced with similar challenges," he said.
That sense of gratitude now fuels a desire to give back. Kolbe said he wants to return to communities like the one he grew up in and serve as a mentor to children who are navigating the same environment he once did.
Wanting to Inspire the Next Generation
"I want to go back there and be a mentor, or inspire the young kids, to show them it doesn't matter your circumstances or the challenges you're going through," Kolbe said.
Despite his pride in where he comes from, Kolbe is clear-eyed about the difficulties that still face young people in areas like Kraaifontein. His message is one of possibility rather than pity, rooted in lived experience rather than observation from a distance.
Cheslin Kolbe explains what he is still learning from the young Springboks
Briefly News previously reported that Cheslin Kolbe continues to work on his game despite his years of experience at the highest level of rugby.
The Springbok wing also praised the composure of South Africa’s younger players, explaining why even experienced stars can learn from the next generation.
Source: Briefly News
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