Cheslin Kolbe Goes Viral After Teammates Poke Fun At His Size
Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe had social media in stitches last week when a few post-match photos revealed he may need a step ladder to fit into the frame with his teammates.
Photo credit: RG Snyman/Instagram
Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe went viral last week after a string of Instagram snaps showed just how vertically challenged he looks next to his towering team-mates.
After the Boks’ win over Argentina, the team took a well-earned breather in London. While RG Snyman, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager and Siya Kolisi loomed large, Kolbe stood his ground – or at least tried to – in a series of snaps that quickly spread online.
South Africans did what they do best — they had a field day in the comments. Reactions to the photos overflowed with jokes and good-natured jabs:
- “When you got friends in high places”
- “There’s a player short here”
- “4 and a half guys”
- “We stand with Cheslin in these difficult times”
- “He looks like an imaginary friend”
- “Kolbe fighting for his life here”
- “Always that one friend that can’t go to the deep side of the pool”
Once the joke took off, his supporters leapt into action. They edited the photos to restore Kolbe’s full frame, cropping out his giants of teammates altogether. Some put him at eye-level with the rest, letting his full figure shine free of comparison.
Cheslin Kolbe stands at 1.70 m — not a giant by rugby standards, but never one to vanish in a scrum. In 2021, he told SA Rugby Magazine he never believed he’d reach top levels due to his size. Critics told him he would not handle bigger opponents. He proved every doubter wrong.
Kolbe’s stature rarely matters on the field. He’s twice lifted the Rugby World Cup for South Africa (2019 and 2023), and he’s built a name on speed, power, and agility.
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