Rachel Kolisi Leads Tributes as Springboks Star Vincent Tshituka Marries Katlego Monare
- Springboks star Vincent Tshituka recently celebrated a double milestone, marrying his longtime partner Katlego Monare and making his Test debut for South Africa this year
- Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tshituka fled political violence as a child refugee before rising through university rugby to earn his place with the Springboks
- The rugby star received heartfelt tributes on social media, with fans and fellow players congratulating him on both his wedding and sporting achievements
Springboks star Vincent Tshituka recently married his long-time partner Katlego Monare in a beautiful wedding ceremony, with the couple sharing glimpses of their special day through videos and photos online.
Source: Getty Images
The 26-year-old, born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, paid lobola to Monare’s family in November last year. Heartwarming clips from the lobola ceremony were shared on TikTok and received widespread love from netizens.
When did Tshituka make his Test debut for the Boks?
Tshituka, who made his Test debut for South Africa this year against Italy after becoming a naturalised citizen, celebrated the joyous occasion with family and friends.
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He is not the first Boks player to have been naturalised; Zimbabwean-born Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira was one such player. He went on to win 117 caps, making him one of the most capped Boks.
Source: Getty Images
Tshituka arrived in South Africa as a child refugee, fleeing from the Democratic Republic of Congo with his family in 2002 to escape politically motivated violence. He started playing rugby while studying at the University of Johannesburg, even though the DRC is not a predominantly rugby-playing nation.
Vincent expressed excitement at receiving the greatest sporting honour of playing for the Springboks and wearing the green and gold. He told reporters how traumatic the experience of fleeing Congo was for him.
“I did not go to a rugby-playing school, which was a disadvantage. But at university, I made up for lost time, and it is hard to describe exactly how I feel before facing the Italians. The more difficult your background, the more you appreciate the opportunities life presents. Saturday is going to be an extraordinarily special day for me and my family,” he added.
Rachel Kolisi leads the tributes online.
Rachel Kolisi led the tributes to Vincent Tshituka on Instagram as fans and friends flooded the platform with congratulatory messages.
Here are some of the heartfelt messages shared:
@lebilekwejam:
“Well done, brother. To many more happy and blessed years.”
@durbanite:
“Congratulations to you both.”
@cjmarais:
“What a year for you, brother.”
@optimumperformance_coach:
“God in the centre. Victory is yours, and all glory to Him. You guys looked amazing.”
@lihle_m5:
“Congratulations to the newest Springbok and husband.”
@r3nt.a.crowd:
“My guy gets married and makes his Bok debut. Brother, you are winning. Stay married, stay blessed.”
See the post below:
Jesse Kriel reacts after replacing Kolisi as Boks' captain
Briefly News earlier reported that Kriel broke his silence after being named Springboks captain in the absence of Siya Kolisi for the clash against the Barbarians over the weekend.
The Sharks star was part of the Boks team named by Rassie Erasmus, but suffered an injury before the match and had to be withdrawn from the squad.
Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
