Siya Kolisi’s ‘miracle son’ turns 12 after already following Springbok legend into rugby
Rugby NewsFriday, 04 September 2026 at 19:00
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Siya Kolisi’s eldest son Nicholas has celebrated his 12th birthday, with mum Rachel sharing an emotional tribute to her “miracle baby”.
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Rachel posted a collection of pictures on Instagram as Nicholas Siyamthanda Kolisi marked the milestone, writing:
“12 years ago this miracle baby made me a mama. Forever grateful to Jesus.”
Nicholas was born prematurely at 32 weeks, weighing just 2.1kg, which explains the deeply personal nickname Rachel has repeatedly used for him.
Following in Siya’s footsteps
The youngster has already shown signs of following his famous father into rugby.
When the Kolisi family moved to France following Siya’s switch to Racing 92 after the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Nicholas joined the Paris club’s youth rugby programme.
In March 2024, Siya proudly shared footage of his then nine-year-old son playing his first match for Racing 92, with Nicholas even scoring a try on debut.
The Springbok skipper joked that one detail in particular caught his attention:
“So proud of this one! Played his first game for Racing92. The tape on the wrist.”
Nicholas had copied his dad’s trademark wrist tape, while reports at the time said he was training with the club every Monday night.
Siya himself joined Racing after captaining South Africa to their second successive World Cup triumph in 2023, officially linking up with the French giants that November.
He ultimately spent one season in France before returning to the Sharks.
‘We love him’
Nicholas’ middle name, Siyamthanda, translates as “we love him”, while Rachel previously described him as “brave and protective and kind” in another birthday message when he was younger.
Rachel and Siya also have daughter Keziah together.
The former couple announced their separation in October 2024, saying at the time that they would continue to co-parent their children and work together through the Kolisi Foundation.
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