'Before the World Cup, my daughters' friends' parents would say, 'Tell that f****** father of yours to stop sucking up for a pay cheque'. People said it was political,' said Erasmus.
Erasmus said, during the first Test match, officials refused to hear Kolisi and questioned his every move.“When I was water carrier during that first Test, I was close to the action and I could see that Siya was not getting heard. Those people who always questioned Siya came back out and said, 'See Rassie, you f***** this up, we were right all along',” Erasmus recalled.
“I'm not saying Nic Berry is racist. Absolutely not. 100%. I actually think he is a cool guy. But when you are in a volatile country with 54 million black people and six million white people then you at least need a conversation. I didn't understand why Siya's messages weren't getting through: do they think he's an a**hole?”
In his tribute letter to the DHL Stormers and Western Province Rugby Union last year, Kolisi thanked Erasmus and other coaches he worked under in Cape Town for taking a chance on him. “Each one of you took me under your wing and guided me through to the highest level, showing me what it meant to be a leader, on and off the field.
“I am forever indebted to you for offering me the opportunity to live out my dream. You have allowed little boys and girls across SA who look like me to believe that they too can be anything they put their mind to,” said Kolisi.