SOUTH AFRICA CAPTAIN Siya Kolisi has left Racing 92 with two years of his contract still to run, the French Top 14 club confirmed on Sunday.
“Siya Kolisi and Racing 92 have reached an agreement to end the contract,” a club statement read.
The widely expected news – Kolisi’s family was reportedly homesick in the French capital – came 24 hours after Kolisi led the Springboks to an 18-12 win over New Zealand at Cape Town.
Playing with a broken nose, Kolisi scored a try early in the second half as South Africa overturned a 9-3 half-time deficit in what he said was South Africa’s most important game since they won the World Cup final against the same opponents in Paris last year.
As Kolisi was starring in the Rugby Championship back in France, Racing opened their Top 14 season with defeat to Castres.
In their statement Racing 92 added: “The two parties thank each other for the sporting moments in the sky blue and white jersey and wish each other well in the future”.
Kolisi arrived in France last year to much fanfare after the second of his World Cup wins with the Springboks.
But the 33-year-old only turned out for Racing 18 times last season, scoring one try.
He has been linked with a move back to the Sharks in Durban.
Last Monday, Racing centre Gael Fickou said Kolisi’s choice “will be the right one for him.
“If he feels like his family are not well settled in France and that he needs to be down there, then I understand it and we will respect that.”
