WATCH: Uncle Siya! – Heartwarming moment between Siya Kolisi and Ardie Savea’s daughter
Brothers: Siya Kolisi embraces Ardie Savea after Saturday's Rugby Championship Test match between the Springboks and All Blacks at Eden Park in New Zealand. New Zealand won the match 24-17. Photo: Michael Bradley/AFP
Image: Michael Bradley/AFP
There was a heartwarming moment following the All Blacks’ Rugby Championship win over the Springboks when Jesse Kriel and Siya Kolisi congratulated Ardie Savea on his 100th Test cap.
Savea was colossal throughout the encounter at Eden Park, where the All Blacks defended their fortress with a 24-17 win over the world champions.
Towards the end of the game, with the Boks looking to score a try that could help them tie the game, Savea won the turnover at the breakdown to ensure that the men in black would walk away with the win.
After the match, as captain on the day, Kriel congratulated Savea, and the Kiwi icon’s daughter is heard greeting Kolisi with a very enthusiastic “Uncle Siya!”
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Kolisi then scoops her up and asks how she’s doing. “Look how big you are,” says the Springboks’ regular skipper, before asking her, “Are you proud of daddy?”
Kolisi and Savea then embrace as he hands a signed jersey to the All Blacks centurion. While rivals on the field, Kolisi and Savea are known to share a very close bond off it.
In an interview with Jim Hamilton last year, Savea spoke of his friendship with Kolisi, whom he described as his “brother.”
“I always try to smash Siya because he is a good mate of mine,” Savea said in the interview. And leading up to the Test between the two teams, Kolisi echoed the sentiments when he said the feeling was mutual.
“It’s not hidden, we’re very good friends off the field, we get along really well, and we keep in touch all the time.
“We respect each other a lot, and we respect each other, especially on the field. I want to make sure I give him everything I have on the field.
“I think that’s been the rivalry between us and New Zealand. Yes, on the field we give everything we can, and after that, there’s mutual respect, after the game.
“Me and Ardie have just got closer and closer over the years. It’s been a couple of years since we’ve been good mates.
“People always wonder – we’re both captains at one time – and people think we want to go half-heartedly at each other. No, it’s never like that. I’ll gain his respect by giving him everything I can; he’ll gain mine by giving everything he can.”
Even after the final whistle, the respect between Savea and Kolisi was clear to see. From a signed jersey to a playful moment with Savea’s daughter, it was a reminder that, while rugby is fiercely competitive on the field, the friendships off it are just as real.
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