BERLIN – Having missed out on last year’s Laureus World Sports Awards due to a luggage issue, Rachel Kolisi was finally able to rock the red carpet with her hubby Siya on Monday night.
While hubby Siya was in his Springbok ‘number ones’ blazer and white sneakers – with Laureus encouraging their guests to wear sports shoes with their formal outfits – Rachel donned a glittering cream pants and top with matching high heels and clutch bag.
And it was a night to party for South Africans, as the Boks clinched the Laureus Team of the Year award following their unforgettable Rugby World Cup victory in Japan last year.
Siya has since been in high demand around the globe as he grows into a sporting icon that is being recognised beyond rugby, but has always spoken fondly about how Rachel keeps things together at home with their two kids and his two young siblings who live with them.
She is also a businesswoman in her own right with her fitness and lifestyle organisation ‘Rise’.
Springboks skipper Siya Kolisi and his 'date' in Berlin, Mrs Rachel Kolisi. Photo: Ashfak mohamed/IOLSport
And despite him hanging out with the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Sachin Tendulkar on Monday, she expressed her pride in how he has remained grounded in his success.
“Ag, you know what happened to me last year: we were invited and my bag never arrived! So I never even made it. It’s such an honour to be here, and of course, just to be a part of this journey has been so incredible,” Rachel told IOL Sport on the red carpet.
“And I don’t take it lightly at all. It’s just so incredible to go through it with Siya, and all the highs and the lows that I’ve seen along the way have been incredible.
“But I think it all just comes down to how he’s remained so humble and so steady, and so consistent, and who he is as a person. And I think that’s what’s really inspiring a nation.
“So, it’s such an honour to be here, and I’m so grateful.”