Cheslin Kolbe: Rugby's Best Player, From Humble Beginnings to Becoming a Superstar

Cheslin Kolbe: Rugby's Best Player, From Humble Beginnings to Becoming a Superstar

Thando Mpembe
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:52 PM

Cheslin Kolbe is regarded as one of the best rugby players in the world right now and he is celebrating his 28th birthday. In honour of his special day, Briefly News put together a feature article detailing his life through rugby and becoming a household name.

Cheslin Kolbe celebrates his 28th birthday today and has been dubbed the best rugby player in the world currently. The Springboks winger has won the hearts of many with his bubbly personality but there’s so much more to him than what meets the eye.

Briefly News gives details on Kolbe’s upbringing, entrance into the rugby world, personal life and his journey with the Springboks in a comprehensive feature article.

Cheslin Kolbe's early rugby life: Becoming a superstar

Cheslin Kolbe was born in Kraaifontein and started his rugby career while he was getting his education at Hoërskool Brackenfell in Cape Town. He impressed in his youth days and joined Western Province’s youth setup in 2009.

Cheslin Kolbe, personal life, Springboks, Toulouse, Toulon, rugby, Sevens, Cape Town, wife, children
Cheslin Kolbe has been a crucial member of the Springboks and is regarded as one of the best. Image: @cheslinkolbe
Source: Instagram

According to Rugby Pass, Kolbe made his provincial first-class debut in 2013, during his time with WP, he played with the Stormers and played in the Super Rugby competition.

Kolbe continued his career with WP until 2017. During his time there, he scored over 100 points – winning the Currie Cup in the process. In the 2017/18 season, Kolbe made a move to Europe and joined top 14 side Toulouse.

He recently left the club and joined Toulon in a big-money move catapulting his career even more. Kolbe expressed gratefulness to Toulouse and said according to Mirror UK:

"I will forever be grateful for everything I have learned and experienced with Stade Toulousain, the lessons learnt and the memories made, stretch far beyond the rugby field."

Cheslin's Springbok and international rugby career

Kolbe played for the Springbok Sevens between 2012 and 2017 according to Wikipedia. He was part of the Sevens team that got a bronze medal in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He has also represented South Africa at the U/20 level.

In 2018, the star rugby player received his first call-up for the South African national team for the Rugby Championship. He made his debut against Australia and has been a regular member of the team ever since.

Kolbe was instrumental in the 2019 Championships and it earned him a spot in the 2019 Rugby World Cup squad. He famously scored a try in the final against England where the Springboks made history once again.

In 2021, during the British & Irish Lions Tour, Kolbe was instrumental once again. He was soon named the best rugby player in the world not only by the media but also by his teammates.

Cheslin Kolbe's personal life, relatives, wife and children

Athleticism runs in the family for Kolbe as he is the cousin of track and field athlete Wayde van Niekerk. Kolbe is married to Layla Cupedo whom he met when her friend asked him for a selfie together. He asked to take a picture with Layla and then asked her out through Twitter DMs.

They soon fell in love and got married in a beautiful ceremony that took place in Stellenbosch. The theme of their wedding was gold, white and hints of navy blue. The couple has two beautiful children who are girls named Kylah and Mila.

Cheslin Kolbe took to social media after the birth of Mila and commended his wife for soldiering through the labour process. He wrote:

"Proud of my wife for being so strong and incredible during the whole labour process. No joke I tell you! Truly an unforgettable experience. GIRL DAD IT IS"

Kolbe seems to be a devout Christian and usually shares Bible verses on his social media posts.

Chincha Guluva: A look into how Kaizer Motaung founded the mighty Kaizer Chiefs

In other sports news, Briefly News reported that Kaizer Motaung is known for founding Kaizer Chiefs and is very passionate about the club he created. Being a footballer himself, Motaung knew what was needed to get started and has not looked back ever since.

In a comprehensive feature article, Briefly News takes a look at how Kaizer Motaung built his empire and gives a little bit of information about his personal life.

Kaizer Motaung was born in Orlando East, Soweto on 16 October 1944. He started playing football at a young age and turned professional at the age of 16. Motaung started his career by playing for Orlando Pirates, ironically.

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