CHESLIN KOLBE "That's why I'm here"

Kobe scored tries two games in a row, which leads to the team's victory. He seems to enjoy playing and looks bouncy. High expectation for him moving forward.(interviewed on early Apr 2025)

◆Able to keep good consistency

――Cool try you scored against Honda.

Obviously always good to score tries, and to be in that kind of situation always good and special. And contributing to the team, which is the most important thing.

――Your kick executed well.

It came off well, but obviously try not to kick it as hard. As I kicked it I thought probably gonna roll out, but it's probably bounce of the Rugby ball. Stayed in our favor.

――By watching that play, we don't know where the ball will bounce, but we don't know where you are going too. You play like bounce of a rugby ball.

Hahaha maybe a little bit. Try to use my strength as well to contribute on the wing or wherever on the field. Sometimes I surprise myself as well by things I do haha.

――You said you are not playing at your 100% last season, how is it going this season?

It's a strange one. Last year obviously had niggles here and there. This year just wanted to be consistent, have continuity and play every weekend. Probably didn't have the best start of the season, getting injured in the first game. And still picked up a few niggles to keep me out for week or two. But my main focus was fit to play or not fit to play, so I can contribute to the team for what we want to achieve.
Whether it's in rehab try to get back and play as soon as possible in the best state and best physical and mental mind state.And I think last 4 games now, it has been good just gaining consistency and grow from here every week.

――You are scoring more tries than last season already.

Obviously everybody likes to score a try when you get an opportunity. To me I look at the game differently, If I don't score tries, it doesn't mean that I am not performing or not contributing. In a different way to contribute to one team or people around me. It's a bonus getting a try when the opportunity comes.

◆That's a beauty of Rugby

――Current condition, are you in a good state?

I'm good. I'm in good sprit. Good few weeks for the team. It's important time of the season. We learn from losses throughout the season, which makes us better in end of the day, also to remain humble in victory. Because it doesn't mean you achieved everything, you still need to continue to develop every week.

――Since you been here, you describe you have a lot to learn on and off the field. Can you give us an example?

Obviously the language. Hahaha that makes everything so much easier. Just coming from playing in France for 7 years and South Africa before that Japan now just overall work rate from all the players, forwards and backs. And intensity. From last season, obviously for myself I needed to step up. And I think it will benefit me whenever play in International level. Fitness point of view I will be up there.

――To make the playoffs, what do you think about the momentum of the team?

The way of currently we are going yes definitely. But obviously our goal is not just to make play offs, it is to win the league. It's been successful of this club for so many decades now. I think no one was used to us loosing as much as we did this season. But that's a beauty of Rugby, you get an opportunity to do it again in following week to prove ourself again. Yes as much as we love to make play offs but we also shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. Because we always got a massive match up against Kubota. And make sure we prepare well throughout the week. And play offs and everything else will look after itself.

◆Daddy, Daddy

――How are you mentally with your family is back in South Africa?

It does have big impact with my wife and kids living away. Wife has a job and kids have school. But compared to last season, how this season is structured, five weeks on one week off, so I can go home for a week during the bye week. Last season, I only got to see them once in Christmas, New Years and start of January. And I only saw them in May again. So this season In get to see them a lot more this year. Obviously it's tough because I miss out on a lot of kids developing. But am happy to be here and play my rugby and do my best focus on the team.

――But when you go home, do you feel comfortable?

It's my country of my birth, where all my family my friends live. Whenever I do go home especially after long time, it's always special.

――You said your son might play rugby, how is he doing?

Yea I want him to play but I will let him do whatever he wants to do. Rugby is a physical sports. He needs to know what he is getting himself into. But whatever he prefers to do, I will support him. My job now is to make sure to create as opportunities when he grows up. My son is only two and half years old. Now he loves cars, maybe he might go to F1. haha.

――Does he understand that you play rugby?

Yes. When I go home, we watch rugby. Whenever he wakes up and playing rugby on TV, he says "daddy daddy" when he sees Sungoliath yellow jersey or Springboks jersey. So yea I think he understands.

◆To make them proud

――Do you start to feel sungoliath is your home now?

Yes. Otherwise I won't be here. This is a really good club. Cares a lot about not just players performance, but making sure I'm good my family is good. And it's really important. And the brotherhood that we have with the players here. Some clubs are tough for the foreigners, so they just stay with the foreigners, but here we trying to do everything together which is nice.

――Coming towards end of the season now, what is your target?

Make sure I prepare well for this week game against Kubota if I get picked. And enjoy bye week haha From the rugby perspective, just to stay focus on task and what we wanna achieve as team and as a company. Continue to make jersey proud and ex players proud and supporters proud no matter where we play whether in Chichibu or Osaka. To make sure to do everything to make them proud, commit and do our best and stay hungry to our success.

――To achieve what you just described, what is the most important thing?

Hards work. Hard work at training, hard work throughout the week, and connect to the game. But first we must work hard throughout the week and perform on the game day.

――You seem to enjoy being here?

Yes I do enjoy. Always good when there is no injury, healthy and fit. Always difficult when there is an injury. Always good to win as well. Atmosphere and mood is good. I think this year we had bit of both, But I think it made us better knowing what it feels like when we loose and knowing what it feels like when we win. But yea I am definitely happy being here playing which is most important thing. That's why I am here

(Interview & Structure: Kazuyoshi Hariya /Translator: Daiyu Ishimori)
[Photo: Aki Nagao]