Cheslin Kolbe is often the lightest player on a rugby field, yet he has become one of the most dangerous wings in the world.

A double World Cup winner with the Springboks, he scored a memorable try in the 2019 final and helped South Africa retain the title in 2023.

Standing well under six foot, Kolbe relies on footwork and acceleration rather than size.

South African supporters know him as one of the most exciting players the country has produced, a wing capable of beating defenders in the tightest spaces, and his name on a team sheet is studied closely by anyone weighing up the odds on a familiar name in UK bookmaking before a Springboks Test.

In this article, we reflect on the career of a player who has redefined what a modern wing can do

From sevens to the world stage

Kolbe first made his mark in rugby sevens, winning a bronze medal with South Africa’s Blitzboks when the sport made its Olympic debut at Rio 2016.

A move to Toulouse in France followed, and he made his Springbok debut in 2018 after switching his focus to the fifteen-a-side game.

He had spent years on the international sevens circuit, and that grounding in space and evasion shaped the player he became.

His cousin, Wayde van Niekerk, is the 400 metres world record holder, and the family’s speed runs deep.

The 2019 final try

Kolbe announced himself to a global audience in the 2019 World Cup final.

With South Africa leading England, he stepped inside Owen Farrell and sprinted clear to score under the posts, helping seal a 32-12 win in Yokohama.

It was the score that confirmed the Springboks as world champions and made Kolbe a household name back home.

A weapon in 2023

Four years later, Kolbe was central to South Africa’s title defence in France.

In the quarter-final against the hosts, his charge down of a Thomas Ramos conversion attempt proved decisive in a 29-28 win.

He even filled in at scrum-half during the knockout stages, drawing on his sevens background, as the Springboks ground out a series of one-point victories on the way to the trophy.

South Africa won three knockout matches by a single point that year, the narrowest of routes to glory.

A finisher like few others

At club level, Kolbe won the Champions Cup and two Top 14 titles with Toulouse before moving to Toulon.

By the end of 2024, he had scored 18 tries in 40 Tests and been nominated twice for World Rugby Player of the Year.

His ability to beat the first defender in a confined space has made him a constant danger near the line.

Defenders rarely get a clean shot at him, and when they do, he usually finds a way through.

Kolbe has shown that size is no barrier at the top level.

At just over five feet and around 80 kilograms, he gives away height and weight to almost every opponent, yet his balance and change of pace have often drawn comparisons with a footballer rather than a rugby player.