French Rugby Club Racing 92 Terminates Springbok Captain Siya Kolisi’s Contract

South African star's departure from French club paves way for potential return to South Africa Sharks

Before his contract termination, Siya Kolisi faced significant challenges during his time at Racing 92 Rugby Club in France /

By Priscilla Jepchumba

Racing 92 has terminated the contract of South Africa's captain, Siya Kolisi, after just one year of his three-year deal in Paris. Racing 92 and Siya Kolisi have mutually agreed to end their contract early, expressing gratitude for their time together.

The 33-year-old has been heavily tipped to return to the Sharks, bringing that process closer. The 88-cap Springbok arrived at La Defense Arena at the end of 2023 following a triumph in the Webb Ellis Cup for the second time.

Racing started their Top 14 season on Saturday with a 31-28 loss to Castres, a game that Kolisi sat out of due to Springbok duty in the Rugby Championship. While Racing was starting their season in domestic francophone competition, Kolisi was guiding the Springboks to back-to-back wins over New Zealand, thus helping his team win the Freedom Cup for the first time since 2009.

Siya Kolisi has faced significant challenges during his time at Racing 92 Rugby Club in France. Discussions on his departure have been taking place as he signed the deal, which was supposed to last until 2026.

Kolisi secured the deal that made him move from the Sharks team to Racing 92 for the three post-Rugby World Cup seasons in the 2023 season. However, his stay in Paris has not been easy due to injuries, fatigue, and criticisms from the club’s owner, Jacky Lorenzetti.

Jacky Lorenzetti, Racing 92's boss, openly expressed his discontent with Kolisi's performances, stating that he had "put on weight" and "lost shape" following their last season match.

Racing 92 released a statement, announcing Kolisi’s contract termination.

“Siya Kolisi and Racing 92 announce that they have mutually agreed to terminate the contract that linked the South African third row to the sky and white club until 2026,” the statement read.

“Both parties thank each other for the sporting moments spent together under the sky and white jersey and wish each other much success in the rest of their sporting careers,” the statement continued.