Siya Kolisi gives nine-year-old fan his match shorts after determined pitch dash

Nine-year-old Johannes van Heerden ran onto the pitch at FNB Stadium after the third Test in the Greatest Rivalry Series hoping to secure Siya Kolisi’s autograph, but the Springbok captain gave him an even more memorable souvenir.

Van Heerden’s sole aim was to meet Kolisi and ask for his signature. Despite being followed by security guards, the youngster used his rugby skills to make his way across the pitch towards his hero.

Van Heerden, who plays outside centre and fullback for his school, Laerskool Saamtrek, came close to reaching the Springbok captain before a security guard caught him.

However, Kolisi had seen what was happening. The South Africa captain had been posing for a selfie with another fan when he noticed Van Heerden’s attempt and moved towards the youngster.

Kolisi then handed Van Heerden his match shorts and signed them, ensuring the nine-year-old left with both the autograph he had wanted and an unexpected keepsake from the occasion.

The gesture transformed what could have been a disappointing end to Van Heerden’s pitch dash into a moment he and his family are unlikely to forget.

“I was a little nervous. I thought they might tackle him or take him to jail,” said Johannes’s mother, Isabeau van Heerden.

“We didn’t think that Siya was going to give him the shorts.”

She said her son had been determined to get the signature once the match had ended.

“He was determined to get a signature after the match,” she explained.

Van Heerden’s persistence ultimately paid off, although not in the way he had expected. Rather than simply receiving Kolisi’s autograph, he was given the captain’s match shorts as well, with the signature added to them.

The incident took place after the third Test in the Greatest Rivalry Series at FNB Stadium, where Van Heerden had been watching the Springboks. His attempt to reach Kolisi involved a brief pursuit by security, but the captain’s intervention meant the encounter ended positively.

Kolisi’s response also allowed Van Heerden to keep a personal memento of the match, alongside the autograph he had set out to obtain.

The youngster’s rugby background helped him get close to Kolisi before he was stopped. He represents Laerskool Saamtrek as an outside centre and fullback, positions that proved useful during his dash across the playing surface.

Rather than being removed without meeting his hero, Van Heerden was approached by Kolisi and rewarded for his determination.

Watch Kolisi’s gesture below.