Siya Kolisi feels like he is “stealing” from Racing 92 after the Springboks icon ended his unhappy marriage with the Paris club.
Kolisi signed a lucrative three year contract with the glamour Top 14 outfit after leading South Africa to back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles in France.
But he only played 18 matches and the 33-year-old flanker has opted to return to the Durban-based Sharks after Racing 92 agreed to terminate his contract.
Watch the 2024 Rugby Championship with every match streaming ad free, live and on demand on the home of rugby, Stan Sport
A day after the Springboks put a hand on the Rugby Championship trophy by beating New Zealand 18-12 for a rare fourth successive time, Kolisi — who scored a try in that match and played with a broken nose — told French newspaper L’Equipe he felt a bit guilty.
“I’m very well paid and that makes me feel like I’m stealing from Racing,” Kolisi said.
Kolisi made a strong start to his Racing career before suffering an injury setback.
READ MORE: Gould refuses to guarantee Foxx’s future after drug arrest
READ MORE: Slater’s plea to injury-plagued Roosters on eve of finals
READ MORE: Players dealt blow after NRL scheduling call
He then earned the ire of Racing owner Jacky Lorenzetti who took aim at Kolisi with some bizarre comments in the French media.
“He put on a few kilos, lost his form and yesterday he was invisible,” Lorenzetti said in June.
Kolisi at the time told AFP he had gained 5kg before losing it again.
NEW PODCAST: The BTP crew conduct an grisly post-mortem into a record Wallabies defeat and applaud the almighty Springboks
“He had a remarkable start to the season, where he was a unifier off the field,” Lorenzetti said.
“The break was harmful to him. He gained weight, lost form.”
Kolisi explained that he did not know what his international future would be when he signed with Racing.
“Then when I started playing for the national team again, I went to see Racing, we had a chat and they told me: ‘It’s all good, go and play for your country’,” he said.
“But I realised that for my body, I can’t rest.
“And above all, if I play for South Africa, I miss three months of the Top 14 season. I’d like to have won something (with Racing).”