Springbok legends unleashed: inspiring youth through rugby's greatest tales

A SHORT series of books has been published aimed at the youth and are well worth a read.

- MIKE GREENAWAY

The six books feature current Springbok greats in Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Faf de Klerk, Cheslin Kolbe, Handre Pollard and Eben Etzebeth.

The stories are told in simple language to make them easy to read for youngsters and are packed with inspirational anecdotes that youngsters can embrace and adopt in their own lives, even if they are not rugby players.

In a short paperback of 90 pages, you can read about how a young Kolisi had to endure rats crawling over him at night as he slept on cushions in a shack in the Zwide township, near Gqeberha. Many nights, he went to bed with an empty stomach.

Kolisi earned a rugby bursary to Grey High in Gqeberha and was terrified because he could not speak English, but he overcame the challenge.

The books talk a lot about why Bok coach Rassie Erasmus means so much to the players. It is because while he is a good coach, he is an even better human being.