Racing 92 director of rugby Stuart Lancaster believes that Siya Kolisi’s change of heart led to his departure from the Top 14 club after just one season.

Kolisi joined the Parisian club after leading the Springboks to Rugby World Cup glory in 2023, signing a three-year deal with the men in Blue and White.

The Bok flanker made 18 appearances for the club during the 2023/24 season but will now return to South Africa after sealing a return to the Sharks ahead of the upcoming season.

The 33-year-old’s time at Racing 92 was hampered by injury and soured when club president slammed his performances in the press stating that he had ‘gained weight, lost shape & was transparent’.

Siya Kolisi puts Springboks ahead of Racing 92

This paired with Rassie Erasmus’ want to have his Bok captain based locally pushed Kolisi to return to South Africa having also struggled to settle in Paris.

However, Lancaster has also revealed that Kolisi had a change of heart over his international career which was supposed to come to an end after the World Cup.

The back-rower’s decision to continue to represent the Springboks contributed to his exit from Racing 92 according to the ex-England head coach as did the realisation that he would effectively be playing rugby all year-round.

“He was very good and he was very committed to the cause and everything else,” Lancaster told The Rugby Paper Podcast.

“The original plan with him was that he would not continue to play international rugby.

“Then once he decided to continue to play international rugby that changed the dynamic a lot for both parties.

“Obviously, he goes back to South Africa and his family is back there in South Africa, so he probably realised that if he plays Test rugby, he plays 12 months of the year and at 33 years old it’s tough to do.”

Kolisi: ‘My body has no rest’

Kolisi confirmed as much too in an interview with French publication L’Equipe.

“When I arrived in Paris, I didn’t know what the future of my international career was but when I started playing for the national team again (in June), I realised that my body has no rest,” the Bok skipper said.

“And above all, if I play for South Africa, I miss three months of the Top 14 season. I am very well paid and it makes me feel like I am stealing from Racing.

“So, for me, my physical health and the club, I want to do what is right, I don’t want to only invest half of myself.”

Kolisi is now set to benefit from better rest periods throughout the season with the Sharks and SA Rugby managing his minutes. The experienced back-rower’s salary will be partly paid by SA Rugby through their PONI (Player of National Interest) scheme which will enforce rest periods during the season.

Springboks head coach Erasmus has also explained his want to extend certain veteran stars’ careers in order to feature in the 2027 Rugby World Cup. If Kolisi maintains a high level of performance, he is likely to be one of the players who will have the opportunity to win a hat-trick of World Cups.