Building on the success of the 2024 You Got This launch, the 2025 campaign highlights the power of encouragement, revealing that four in five athletes face unhelpful sideline behavior, which can lead them to leave sports. Rooted in the universal truth that every athlete needs someone in their corner, the campaign highlights how a strong support system can be the difference between success and self-doubt.
In this episode, Adidas spotlights captain Siya Kolisi and longtime mentor and coach, Rassie Erasmus.
Known for his resilience, leadership, and strength, Siya Kolisi’s journey began in the township of Zwide in the Eastern Cape, where rugby was more than a game, it was a path to something greater. From dusty fields to global stages, his rise has been anything but ordinary. Behind every milestone stood Erasmus, the coach who first saw his potential, and backed him when it mattered most. Their bond, built on honesty, trust, and a shared love for the game, has shaped not only a two-time World Cup-winning captain but also a symbol of hope for a nation.
Kolisi’s rugby career is deeply intertwined with Erasmus, who first noticed the 18-year-old while scouting talent for Western Province during a match against the Cheetahs. Their connection truly began in 2010 at the Western Province Academy in Stellenbosch. Recognising something special in the young flanker, Erasmus helped secure his first professional contract with the WP U/19 team. Their paths crossed again at national level, and what followed was more than a coach-player relationship; it was a shared journey built on an unwavering commitment to always put the team first.
“I don’t know what he saw in me back then, but I’ll forever be grateful,” says Kolisi. “He’s been honest, hard on me at times, but always backed me. He’s guided me both on and off the field.”
In 2018, Erasmus made the bold decision to appoint Kolisi as the National Rugby Team captain, a move that helped reshape the national team and capture the attention of an entire country. Together, they’ve since won two Rugby Championships and lifted the Webb Ellis Cup twice in back-to-back tournaments.
For Erasmus, backing Kolisi was as much about character as it was about talent. “He was always a speedy flanker with grit and toughness, but it was his humility and hunger to learn that stood out,” Erasmus explains. “A good leader empowers those around him, including his coaches. Siya never expected special treatment; he took every opportunity, worked hard, and never lost anyone’s trust, neither the team’s nor management’s. He’s earned everything he’s achieved.”
Their shared roots in the Eastern Cape and a lifetime immersed in rugby culture laid the foundation for a relationship grounded in mutual respect. Both emphasise the importance of accountability and the unifying power of sport in a divided nation.
“Rugby taught us responsibility and respect,” Kolisi reflects. “It’s kept many of us out of trouble. Sport gave us a way out. And that’s why I chose Coach Rassie as my Plus One, for everything he’s done for me, for what he’s helped me become.”
Kolisi has done a great deal for rugby in South Africa, but he often says that the country and its passionate fans have given back to him just as much, supporting, uplifting, and inspiring him to keep pushing the boundaries.
Together, they’ve lifted trophies, broken barriers, and inspired a nation, not just through victories, but through the values they live by on and off the field. As Erasmus puts it, “It makes me happy to win a cup and see my team lift the trophy, but what makes me happier is seeing the supporters and how happy it makes them and our country.”
For both coach and captain, it’s always been about more than just rugby; it’s about unity, purpose, and leaving a legacy that outlives the final whistle. And while they’ve already made history, Kolisi and Erasmus are far from done; there’s still more to build, more to give, and more to win, together.
