Springbok captain Siya Kolisi this week paid a surprise hospital visit to a club rugby player, who suffered a severe spinal cord injury in April.

As part of an initiative with the Chris Burger Petro Jackson Players’ Fund, Kolisi visited 32-year-old Sicelo Ngubo at Groote Schuur Hospital this past Tuesday.

On the Players’ Fund website, it was explained that ‘on 20 April this year Sicelo was taking part in a local Easter Rugby Tournament, playing prop for Lovedale RC in Op Die Berg, a small farming community just above Ceres in the Kouebookeveld. In the 10th minute of the game the scrum collapsed and he sustained a serious neck injury, with damage to his spinal cord…

‘Since his devastating spinal cord injury, he has been in the ICU at Groote Schuur Hospital and he received news just before the visit that he will soon be moved into a regular ward and then to the Western Cape Rehab Centre to commence an intensive few months of rehabilitation. He has regaining some feeling in his upper arms, which he proudly shared with Siya as they had a heart to heart during the visit.

*The Players’ Fund relies heavily on private and corporate donations and is Section 18A accredited. Please contact the Players’ Fund office on [email protected] should you wish to join the #SupportSquad behind seriously injured rugby players in South Africa. You can also see all the ways to donate by clicking HERE.