Cheslin Kolbe
Birth date28 October 1993 (age 33)
Birth placeKraaifontein, South Africa
Height1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Weight75 kg (165 lb; 11 st 11 lb)[1]
SchoolHoërskool Brackenfell
UniversityUniversity of the Free State
RelativesWayde van Niekerk (cousin)
PositionWing / Fullback / Fly-half
CurrentclubSuntory Sungoliath
Youthyears 12009–2012
Years 12012–2017
Apps 143
Points 165
Years 22013–2017
Apps 249
Points 274
Years 32017–2021
Clubs 3Toulouse
Apps 382
Points 3172
Years 42021–2023
Clubs 4Toulon
Apps 430
Points 450
Years 52023–2026
Clubs 5Suntory Sungoliath
Apps 543
Points 5323
Repcaps 15
Reppoints 110
Repteam 1South Africa U20
Repyears 12013
Repyears 22015–2016
Repteam 2South Africa Sevens
Repcaps 230
Reppoints 2113
Repyears 32018–
Repcaps 349
Reppoints 3136
Clubupdate18 May 2025
Repupdate16 November 2024

Cheslin Kolbe (born 28 October 1993) is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for Tokyo Sungoliath in the Japan Rugby League One and the South Africa national team.[2] His regular position is wing, but he also plays at fullback. He has also recently featured at fly half for Toulouse in the Top 14, and as a scrum half internationally. Kolbe was a member of the South Africa Sevens team that won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He has won the Rugby World Cup twice with South Africa, in 2019 and 2023. Kolbe was nominated for 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year but lost to teammate Pieter-Steph du Toit. He previously played for Toulouse, Toulon, Stormers, and Western Province. He has also won the Rugby Championship and the Lions Series with the Springboks, the Top14 and Champions Cup with Toulouse, the Currie Cup with Western Province, and the Challenge Cup with Toulon. He is one of the highest paid rugby players in the world, with a reported salary of between ¥130–155 million yen per season.

Since making his debut for South Africa in 2018 in a 23–18 loss to Australia, he has scored 20 tries in 44 tests for South Africa, as well as 1 try in a non-test match.[3] Kolbe is known for his defensive capabilities despite his diminutive frame, his speed and stepping ability, as well as his power in contact.

Early life

Kolbe played for Hoërskool Brackenfell. He represented at various youth levels, from the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week in 2009 to the 2012 Under-21 Provincial Championship.

Club career

Western Province

He made his provincial first class debut in their Vodacom Cup match against .[4] and a month later he was named on the bench for the for their Super Rugby game against the .[5]

In October 2014, he was part of the Western Province team that won the Currie Cup by beating the Lions 19–16.[6]

He penned a three-year deal to remain at Western Province until 2016.[7]

Toulouse

Kolbe moved to France to join Top 14 side for the 2017–2018 season.[8] Kolbe received a call-up to the South Africa national team for the 2018 Rugby Championship. He made his debut for South Africa against on 8 September, during Round Three of the competition, coming on in the 33rd minute as an injury replacement for Makazole Mapimpi, in a match that South Africa lost 18–23.

In June 2019, Kolbe started for Stade Toulousain in the Top 14 final winning the French Championship. In 2021 Kolbe won both the European Cup and the Top 14 with Toulouse.

International career

Kolbe made his test debut in 2018 and played an important part in Springboks winning the 2019 Rugby Championship. On 2 November, Kolbe was part of the 2019 World-Cup winning team in Japan, scoring a try late in the second half of the Final against England. Kolbe was again instrumental in the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa, starting in all three test matches and the South Africa A match. Kolbe scored the Springboks' only try in the third and deciding test of the tour to propel South Africa to a series win. He was also instrumental to victory in the 2023 World Cup, where he received a yellow card and was sent off for a deliberate knock-on in the last ten minutes of the World Cup final, as South Africa held on to win 12–11 against New Zealand.

/* South Africa Under-67 */

National sevens team

Between 2012 and 2017, he represented the South Africa Sevens team. In 2013, he was included in the squad for the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens.[9] Kolbe was included in a 12-man squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.[10] He was named as a substitute for their first match in Group B of the competition against Spain, with South Africa winning the match 24–0.[11][12]

Honours

Western Province

  • 2014 Currie Cup winner

Toulouse

Toulon

South Africa

South Africa 7's

  • 2016 Olympics Bronze medal

Test Match record

AgainstPWDLTriPts%Won
Argentina6600315100
Australia54010080
British and Irish Lions32011566.67
England3300315100
France430111375
Italy3300323100
IRE520321340
Japan3300210100
New Zealand1051452750
Scotland220000100
Wales54011580
Total49371112112675.51

Pld = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, Tri = Tries Scored, Pts = Points Scored

Test tries (21)

TryOppositionLocationVenueCompetitionDateResultScore
1New ZealandWellington, New ZealandWestpac Stadium2018 Rugby Championship15 September 2018Win34–36
2New ZealandPretoria, South AfricaLoftus Versfeld2018 Rugby Championship6 October 2018Loss30–32
3ArgentinaSalta, ArgentinaEstadio Padre Ernesto Martearena2019 Rugby Championship10 August 2019Win13–46
4JapanKumagaya, JapanKumagaya Rugby StadiumTest match6 September 2019Win7–41
5
6ItalyFukuroi, JapanShizuoka Stadium2019 Rugby World Cup4 October 2019Win3–49
7
8EnglandYokohama, JapanInternational Stadium Yokohama2019 Rugby World Cup Final2 November 2019Win12–32
9British and Irish LionsCape Town, South AfricaCape Town Stadium2021 British & Irish Lions tour7 August 2021Win19–16
10WalesPretoria, South AfricaLoftus Versfeld Stadium2022 Wales tour2 July 2022Win32–29
11ItalyGenoa, ItalyLuigi Ferraris Stadium2022 end-of-year rugby union internationals19 November 2022Win21–63
12New ZealandAuckland, New ZealandMount Smart Stadium2023 Rugby Championship15 July 2023Loss35–20
13IRESaint-Denis, FranceStade de France2023 Rugby World Cup23 September 2023Loss8–13
14FranceSaint-Denis, FranceStade de France2023 Rugby World Cup15 October 2023Win28–29
15IREPretoria, South AfricaLoftus Versfeld Stadium2024 Ireland tour of South Africa6 July 2024Win27–20
16ArgentinaMbombela, South AfricaMbombela Stadium2024 Rugby Championship28 September 2024Win48–7
17EnglandLondon, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2024 end-of-year rugby union internationals16 November 2024Win20–29
18
19New ZealandWellington, New ZealandWellington Regional Stadium2025 Rugby Championship13 September 2025Win10–43
20
21ArgentinaDurban, South AfricaKings Park Stadium2025 Rugby Championship27 September 2025Win67–30

Personal life

Kolbe married Layla Cupido in 2018 and they have three children together.[14][15]

He is a devout Christian.[16][17]

Kolbe is a cousin of famous South African track and field sprinter Wayde van Niekerk,[17] who won the gold medal in the 400 metres at the 2016 Olympics and is the current 400m world record holder.

References

  1. ^ "Cheslin Kolbe player profile". rugbyworldcup.com. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  2. ^
  3. ^ https://www.rugbydatabase.co.nz/player/index.php?playerId=10502
  4. ^
  5. ^ "Van Aswegen to start at flyhalf". Stormers. 10 April 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2013., then he took a year out to join moyvalley rugby club
  6. ^ http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/CurrieCup/WP-crowned-Currie-Cup-champs-20141025/accessdate=2015-09-14 [dead link]
  7. ^ "New deal for WP's Kolbe". Planet Rugby. 13 August 2013. Archived from the original on 27 December 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  8. ^ "Communiqué officiel Cheslin Kolbe sera Stadiste en 2017-2018" (in French). Stade Toulousain. 18 January 2017. Archived 18 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  9. ^
  10. ^
  11. ^ "Men Schedule & Results – Olympic Rugby Sevens (RSA–ESP)". Rio 2016. 9 August 2016. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  12. ^ "Olympic Games Men's Sevens, Match 2". World Rugby. 9 August 2016. Archived 9 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  13. ^ "Kolbe and Roos step up to clinch top SA Rugby Awards". SA Rugby. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
  14. ^ "Cheslin Kolbe ties the knot on Top Billing". www.topbilling.com. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  15. ^ Karimi, Cindy (2023-07-07). "Rugby WAGS: Meet Layla Kolbe, Cheslin Kolbe's wife [Pics]" (in en-ZA). The South African. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  16. ^ "Twee neefs soek goud" (in Afrikaans). Netwerk24. 16 July 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  17. ^ de Villiers, Ockert (17 July 2016). "Rio a family affair for Wayde, Cheslin". Independent Online. Retrieved 23 September 2019.