South Africa’s Autumn Nations Series campaign might have ended, but it seems Siya Kolisi’s tour of Europe is just getting started.
Spotted on the streets of Zurich, Kolisi was taking in the sights when who else should he bump into but arguably the greatest male tennis player of all time, Roger Federer, in a meeting of two of the most influential global sporting stars.
And Federer took it upon himself to play the role of tour guide for the Springbok captain, showing him the sights of Zurich accompanied by his parents Robert and Lynette.
The duo were pictured sitting taking in the views of the Swiss city and outside the Lindt Home of Chocolate museum in Klichberg on Lake Zurich.
And the tennis great also took the time to record a special birthday message for Kolisi’s daughter, Kiki, with Federer promising that her dad would bring her back plenty of chocolate…
It’s not the first time that Federer has reached out to Kolisi either, with the tennis ace sending the flanker and the rest of the South Africa squad a message following their World Cup final win over England in 2019.
Federer is not the only sporting star outside of rugby to have touched base with the Springbok captain.
In October, Kolisi and legendary France and Arsenal footballer Thierry Henry shared an embrace at the Parc des Princes ahead of Paris Saint Germain’s 2-1 win over Lille in Ligue 1.
If you couldn’t already guess, it turns out the Springboks skipper is quite the football fan. Just look at how delighted Mo Salah is to be sharing a snap with him.
And such is Kolisi’s star appeal, he even got a birthday shout out from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp too.
Of course, Kolisi’s appeal isn’t solely confined to the realm of sports stars either.
Just a few weeks ago, this snap of Gerard Butler and Kolisi meeting at BT Murrayfield did the rounds, with the Hollywood A-lister looking absolutely delighted to be in the South African flankers’ presence – especially after Kolisi presented him with a shirt.
2021 has been a pretty incredible year for South Africa.
They beat the British and Irish Lions in the 2021 series, split their Rugby Championship contests with New Zealand and came seconds away from a clean sweep in the Autumn Nations Series.
It’s fair to say that Kolisi and company have earned some well-deserved rest and relaxation.
