South Africa has never been short of rugby heroes, but few are loved quite like Cheslin Kolbe. On Thursday, 22 October, the double Rugby World Cup winner swapped the field for the bookshop, launching his memoir, Cheslin Kolbe: Sidestepping the Odds, at Cavendish Square. The launch was hosted in partnership with Exclusive Books.
Rugby supporters and avid readers gathered to meet the Springbok, hear him speak about his remarkable journey and get their copies signed in person.
Published by Pan Macmillan South Africa, the book was written with David O’Sullivan, an award-winning broadcaster and author. Together they tell the story of a boy from Kraaifontein who was never meant to reach the heights he did.
Kolbe was told time and again that he was simply too small for professional rugby. He kept going anyway, backed by grit, bravery and a deep belief in his own ability. That belief carried him to the very top of the sport, including two World Cup triumphs with the Springboks.
The memoir follows Kolbe through Western Province and the Stormers, then on to Toulouse, Toulon and Japan, before arriving at the pinnacle of the international game. Now 32, he is a European champion, a two-time French league champion and the 2024 SA Men’s Rugby Player of the Year.
Even so, this is not a book about trophies alone. It also looks closely at the people and values that moulded him, from his family and his faith to the community around him. It is candid about the hardships he faced along the way, including growing up surrounded by crime, drugs and violence.
Kolbe has said he hopes the book will lift young people, and anyone who has been made to feel they are not good enough. His message is simple: where you start does not decide where you finish. He refused to let his circumstances or his critics write his ending, and he wants readers to feel they can do the same. He shared a similar sentiment on Instagram when he announced the book, urging people to hold on to belief, hard work and resilience.
You can buy the book at retailers such as Exclusive Books, Amazon, Readers Warehouse
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