Cheslin Kolbe

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Born (1993-10-28) 28 October 1993 (age 32)
Kraaifontein, South Africa
Height1.71 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in)[1]
Weight75 kg (165 lb; 11 st 11 lb)[1]
SchoolHoërskool Brackenfell
Cheslin Kolbe
Kolbe playing for South Africa in 2022
Born (1993-10-28) 28 October 1993 (age 32)
Kraaifontein, South Africa
Height1.71 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in)[1]
Weight75 kg (165 lb; 11 st 11 lb)[1]
SchoolHoërskool Brackenfell
UniversityUniversity of the Free State
Notable relativeWayde van Niekerk (cousin)
Rugby union career
Position Wing / Fullback / Fly-half
Current team Suntory Sungoliath
Youth career
2009–2012 Western Province
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012–2017 Western Province 43 (65)
2013–2017 Stormers 49 (74)
2017–2021 Toulouse 82 (172)
2021–2023 Toulon 30 (50)
2023– Suntory Sungoliath 39 (261)
Correct as of 18 May 2025
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2013 South Africa U20 5 (10)
2015–2016 South Africa Sevens 30 (113)
2018– South Africa 49 (136)
Correct as of 16 November 2024
Medal record
Representing  South Africa
Men's rugby sevens
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place2016 Rio de JaneiroTeam competition
Men's rugby union
Rugby World Cup
Gold medal – first place2019 JapanSquad
Gold medal – first place2023 FranceSquad

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.

Kolbe played for Hoërskool Brackenfell. He represented Western Province 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 Boland Cavaliers.[4] and a month later he was named on the bench for the Stormers for their Super Rugby game against the Sharks.[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 with Toulouse in 2017

Kolbe moved to France to join Top 14 side Toulouse 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 Australia 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

As of 23 November 2025
Against P W D L Tri Pts %Won
 Argentina6600315100
 Australia54010080
British and Irish Lions32011566.67
 England3300315100
 France430111375
 Italy3300323100
 Ireland520321340
 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
1 New ZealandWellington, New ZealandWestpac Stadium2018 Rugby Championship15 September 2018Win34–36
2 New ZealandPretoria, South AfricaLoftus Versfeld2018 Rugby Championship6 October 2018Loss30–32
3 ArgentinaSalta, ArgentinaEstadio Padre Ernesto Martearena2019 Rugby Championship10 August 2019Win13–46
4 JapanKumagaya, JapanKumagaya Rugby StadiumTest match6 September 2019Win7–41
5
6 ItalyFukuroi, JapanShizuoka Stadium2019 Rugby World Cup4 October 2019Win3–49
7
8 EnglandYokohama, JapanInternational Stadium Yokohama2019 Rugby World Cup Final2 November 2019Win12–32
9 British and Irish LionsCape Town, South AfricaCape Town Stadium2021 British & Irish Lions tour7 August 2021Win19–16
10 WalesPretoria, South AfricaLoftus Versfeld Stadium2022 Wales tour2 July 2022Win32–29
11 ItalyGenoa, ItalyLuigi Ferraris Stadium2022 end-of-year rugby union internationals19 November 2022Win21–63
12 New ZealandAuckland, New ZealandMount Smart Stadium2023 Rugby Championship15 July 2023Loss35–20
13 IrelandSaint-Denis, FranceStade de France2023 Rugby World Cup23 September 2023Loss8–13
14 FranceSaint-Denis, FranceStade de France2023 Rugby World Cup15 October 2023Win28–29
15 IrelandPretoria, South AfricaLoftus Versfeld Stadium2024 Ireland tour of South Africa6 July 2024Win27–20
16 ArgentinaMbombela, South AfricaMbombela Stadium2024 Rugby Championship28 September 2024Win48–7
17 EnglandLondon, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2024 end-of-year rugby union internationals16 November 2024Win20–29
18
19 New ZealandWellington, New ZealandWellington Regional Stadium2025 Rugby Championship13 September 2025Win10–43
20
21 ArgentinaDurban, South AfricaKings Park Stadium2025 Rugby Championship27 September 2025Win67–30

Personal life

References

External links

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