Bok captain undergoes surgery

NEWS: Springbok captain Siyamthanda Kolisi reportedly underwent surgery on his injured knee on Friday.

Kolisi suffered the injury in his team's final-round United Rugby Championship clash against Munster last weekend.

Reports revealed that the 31-year-old has suffered a partial tear to his anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) as well as injuring his meniscus on both sides of his knee.

The 2019 World Cup-winning skipper saw specialists on Monday, with one of them recommending surgery. He was also due to meet another specialist on Tuesday.

It was believed that if Kolisi opted for surgery then he would definitely miss the World Cup later this year in France.

According to IOL Sport, a source revealed that the Bok captain went under the knife in Cape Town on Friday with the view of increasing his chances of making the Boks' World Cup squad.

"Siya has been consulting specialists all week and the consensus is that if he has the surgery now he is likely to be available for the World Cup,” the source told IOL Sport.

Kolisi was set to receive the Order of Ikhamanga in Gold from President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday.

His wife Rachel accepted the award on his behalf where she confirmed that Kolisi underwent an operation.

However, a separate source told AFP there is "hope" that the forward could recover in time to lead South Africa when they defend the title they won in Japan four years ago.

"The belief early this week was that surgery would rule Siya out of the World Cup, but there now seems to be hope that he might recover in time.

"We are going to read a lot of positive and negative reactions after the surgery, but the truth is no one can be sure right now how long his recovery will take."

The award recognises South African citizens who have excelled in arts, culture, literature, music, journalism, and sport.

Kolisi was elated about receiving the award and said: “This is a huge honour and looking at the calibre of the other individuals who received this award as well, makes it even more special.

“While I am immensely proud, I have to thank my teammates and the Springbok coaching team for their role in the team’s success in the last few years, because without them, this would not have been possible.”

Kolisi added: “I hope this award inspires the youth of the country to pursue their dreams no matter how challenging their circumstances are in life. Through passion, determination, and hard work anything is possible.”

The Springboks open the Test season with a Rugby Championship clash against the Wallabies in Pretoria on July 8.

They will then face the All Blacks in Auckland on July 15 before finishing their Rugby Championship campaign with a match against Argentina in Johannesburg on July 29.