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Siya Kolisi set for sensational Racing 92 exit
By Neil Fissler
Siya Kolisi has asked French giants Racing 92 to release him from his contract so he can make a sensational return to South Africa where his former club, the Sharks, are favourites to land him. The 33-year-old is one of the world’s highest-paid players, earning around €1million a season, and only joined Racing after skippering the Springboks to a second successive Rugby World Cup crown in October last year.
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He started his career with Western Province and the Stormers before moving to the Sharks in 2021. He left two years into a five-year contract to move to Racing, where he played 18 times last season.
But he was the subject of an extraordinary attack by Racing owner Jacky Lorenzetti, who accused him of being “transparent” in their Top 14 quarter-final defeat at Bordeaux-Begles in June.
RugbyPass understands that the superstar flanker has had showdown talks with the club this week and requested to be allowed to leave La Defense Arena after failing to settle in Paris.
Kolisi, who missed the Springboks’ June win over Wales at Twickenham, returned to the Test side for the drawn series with Ireland and is due to be under contract at Racing until 2026.
The terms of his exit are still being negotiated, but Racing are likely to demand a substantial fee in return for granting his release after they paid out around R17million (€850k) to buy out his deal with the Sharks.
RugbyPass believes that the SARU will pick up the bulk of the bill to get him back and grant him the chance to end his career with the Sharks, whom he represented 31 times before his switch to France.
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Kolisi returning to South Africa would also mean one less headache for Springboks boss Rassie Erasmus, who went on record saying that he prefers his captain to be based at home as that allows for more interaction.
This French billionaire sounds like a bad loser. Much like Trump and Mashaba here, the last people you want either running a rugby team or a political party. Trouble is, it looks like the Sharks have another one running their's.
Good player, not a great one. A figurehead Captain at best, Racing wanted some shiny tinsel to dress up the shop window in time for Christmas but got the Toothless Fairy instead.
Good for him; he was underappreciated. The French will always be French.