Sonny Bill Williams' verdict on Kolisi inspiring youths in poverty

Former All Blacks midfielder Sonny Bill Williams has outlined what pictures of Siya Kolisi holding the Webb Ellis Cup can potentially do for impoverished youths. The Springboks skipper had regularly spoken about his own humble beginnings before becoming a two-time Rugby World Cup winner with last Saturday’s win for South Africa over New Zealand.

It was in the wake of this 12-11 victory in Paris that Williams, a 2015 World Cup winner with the All Blacks, tweeted about how gutted he was for New Zealand coming up short, a message that also included congratulations for the Springboks.

“Man, I’m gutted for my All Black brothers. To come up short like that hurts. Hold your head high boys,” he wrote, adding: “Congratulations to our South African brothers! The thing I love about this team’s success is what it does for the country, especially those in poverty.”

Williams' poverty reference prompted a question from one of his followers: “What exactly does it do for those in poverty, SBW?”

What followed was a quick step through Williams' own humble upbringing and how he was inspired by the Pasifika athletes of that time. He reckoned the impact this had on him was similar to the effect that Kolisi’s success is having on some of today’s youth.

“I grew up in a housing commission household with no wallpaper on it, my dad was a labourer and my uncles were gang members,” began Williams in his reply to the question as to what South Africa’s win could do for people in poverty.

“My mother dropped out of school at 13. Not surprising, I wasn’t a kid full of self-worth/confidence. I know I gained a lot of confidence and motivation from seeing Pacifica athletes that looked like my dad and uncles playing professionally.

“I wanted to be like them so I could buy mum a house with wallpaper on it. Inspiration comes from a lot of things, sir. In my humble opinion, I believe the picture of Kolisi holding the Webb Ellis Cup is definitely doing that for some of those youth.”

In a separate tweet referencing how Jacques Nienaber sought out Rassie Erasmus when South Africa were being presented with the Webb Ellis Cup at Stade de France, Williams suggested: "There is so much New Zealand and Australian rugby can learn from the South Africans in regards to cultural representation in every area of the game, not just on the playing field. It’s no wonder they are world champions both on and off the field."