Johannesburg - Springbok captain Siya Kolisi on Wednesday added his voice to the flood of messages of support for young rugby player Alfie after he was the target of online bullying.
Mark Pugsley posted a picture of his son, Alfie, playing in an Under-12 schoolboy side in England last week, only for a Facebook user to make an inappropriate comment about the young boy’s weight.
Pugsley explained the incident on twitter, with the post quickly going viral.
Springboks Ox Nche and Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira were quick to send messages of support for Alfie, and now the World Cup winning skipper Kolisi has joined in.
Kolisi tweeted alongside a video: “Alfie, I’m proud of you for being a true champion through your hard work and determination.
“Keep doing what you do and don’t let anyone tell you who you can’t be. Never make yourself small because of small-minded people.”
Alfie, I’m proud of you for being a true champion through your hard work and determination. Keep doing what you do and don’t let anyone tell you who you can’t be. Never make yourself small because of small-minded people. Dlala kwekwe kulate ngoku to waste time on haters. https://t.co/hMY39nGpey pic.twitter.com/GLtGtTnR8V
— Siya Kolisi (@SiyaKolisi) January 26, 2022
Kolisi referenced top referee Nigel Owens in his video, after the official had said: “Alfie mate, you keep enjoying the rugby. Always try your best, but always enjoy it. Your doing well keep going.
“I’ll come along to ref one of your games one day and will look forward to it. Keep smiling my friend.”
Springbok director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus tweeted: “Spot on Nigel !! Enjoy and try your best Alfie. As easy as that !!”
Spot on Nigel !! Enjoy and try your best Alfie 🏉 As easy as that !! https://t.co/rPfxT4bD2D
— Rassie Erasmus (@RassieRugby) January 26, 2022
While the World champion Springbok captain lent his voice to the discussion, the All Blacks rugby team were not to be left out either.
The official All Blacks account tweeted: “You’ve got plenty of fans down here in Aotearoa too, Alfie.”
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