South Africa vs New Zealand: Siya Kolisi urges Boks to seize spirit of Soweto - BBC Sport
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By Mike Henson, BBC Sport rugby union news reporter
Published 8 hours ago
Captain Siya Kolisi has called on the Springboks to summon inspiration from Soweto's pivotal part in South Africa's history as they take on New Zealand on the edge of the Johannesburg township on Saturday.
The 94,736-capacity FNB Stadium, which staged the opening match of football's World Cup—the first and only time the tournament has been held in Africa—has a rich history. Kolisi, South Africa's first black captain, referenced both the stadium's significance and the 1976 Soweto Uprising, the student protests that were a turning point in the fight against apartheid.
"So many things that happened in Soweto helped shape the South Africa we have today," said Kolisi. "So many heroes have come from there... We're not going to act like it's not a special ground in a significant area. All of that gives us more to play for."
The Soweto Uprising was a protest by schoolchildren and students against the mandatory teaching of English and Afrikaans, languages mainly used by South Africa’s white population, at black schools. The protests led to violent clashes with police and the deaths of hundreds of protestors. International condemnation followed, leading ultimately to the end of apartheid in 1994.
New Zealand, having won their two previous visits to FNB Stadium, aims for a series-clinching 2-1 scoreline replicating the All Blacks' successful 'Incomparables' campaign on South African soil in 1996, before a final meeting in Baltimore on September 12. The match is part of a double-header, with the nations' women's teams also facing off in a repeat of the Black Ferns' 46-17 win in the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final.
Both All Black flanker Wallace Sititi and his sister Amarante, who both wear number 20, are named on the replacements' bench for their respective teams.