Springbok captain Siya Kolisi took to Instagram on Saturday to celebrate Charlene, Princess of Monaco, on her 47th birthday.
The post featured several photos of Kolisi with the Princess, who was formerly an Olympic swimmer representing South Africa.
The images included a few moments with Yannick Nyaga, General Manager of Monaco Rugby Sevens, alongside Princess Charlene.
In one notable picture, Kolisi is seen presenting the Princess with a wrapped gift, showcasing the close connection between the two.
Kolisi captioned his post, “Happy birthday, Princess Charlene! Wishing you an amazing day and a wonderful year ahead. Thank you for the warm welcome yesterday and for your incredible support for rugby. I’m excited to see the impact you’ll have on rugby in Monaco 🇲🇨 and beyond 🇿🇦.”
Princess Charlene is the president of the Monegasque Rugby Federation, the governing body for rugby union in Monaco.
Her dedication to the sport aligns with Kolisi’s ongoing efforts to promote rugby globally.
Kolisi is currently travelling overseas with the Sharks rugby team.
Meanwhile, just days before Princess Charlene’s birthday, Kolisi’s estranged wife, Rachel Kolisi, marked her 35th birthday.
Rachel shared a heartfelt Instagram post reflecting on her special day, saying she initially wanted the celebration to pass quietly but ended up feeling overwhelmed with love and joy.
“This is 35!!! I was surrounded by LOVE and JOY yesterday and I’m so grateful! Thank you for every message, call, and random hug in the street. Crazy to think how desperately I wanted to sneak through this year’s birthday and try to do it better next year! There’s so much to celebrate,” she wrote, alongside a photo of herself with a birthday cake and bottles of champagne.
In previous years, Siya had posted public birthday tributes to Rachel, but this year was different.
He neither posted a message nor interacted with her post, a notable absence since the couple announced their separation in October last year.
IOL