Katlego Sekhu
Springbok winger Cheslin Kolbe recently took to social media to celebrate his son’s second birthday with a heartfelt message.
Reflecting on how quickly time has passed, Kolbe expressed his disbelief that two years had already gone by since he and his wife welcomed their little boy.
“Two years ago—that’s crazy! Our Toulon baby, happy birthday, my boy. You bring so much joy to all of us. May you continue to be blessed and protected,” he wrote.
The 31-year-old also thanked his wife, Layla, for organising their son’s birthday celebration. Layla, in turn, shared her own touching tribute.
“I can’t believe my baby boy is already 2! You are covered! May you always be greatly blessed, highly favoured, and deeply loved. May God protect this post from the evil eye,” she wrote.
In 2019, Cheslin’s wife Layla revealed that she left her career in accounting to support her husband’s rugby journey and focus on raising their children.
After the Springboks successfully defended their World Cup title in 2023, she opened up about the challenges they faced and the emotions of seeing their sacrifices finally pay off.
“Yes, I left for rugby. I left to support my husband. I witnessed all the criticism, all the Springbok call-ups, the camps, and the long tours—yet he was never selected. I saw him have incredible seasons, but the Springbok debut never came. Because of his size. Still, he persevered. He gave everything on that field, no matter what. I can’t even describe the rollercoaster these past few years have been.”
Layla reflected on how meaningful it was to finally see Cheslin become part of such a phenomenal squad.
“The World Cup was one of the most emotional experiences of my life. We were, if not the only, one of the few teams allowed to share hotel rooms with our partners. We prayed in those rooms so many times. Sometimes, we felt we were in their space a little too much, so we would wander the streets of Japan late at night. Japan was incredible, so I’m not complaining!
“I saw him icing that sore ankle, pushing through the pain. We thought we might have to leave before the final. I saw how down he was, spending hours in the physio room every day, coming back to our room still sore, still feeling defeated. So, we just prayed more and more.”
She added that the hardships only made them stronger as a family.
“We grew so much, both as a family and as a team. I can’t even explain how different this victory feels—for us, for the team, and for our nation. We needed this. Through it all, no CA qualification could ever replace witnessing not only Cheslin’s success but also the joy it brought to South Africa.
“To see a nation with so much hardship and struggle celebrate with such unity—watching hundreds of township kids running freely with joy, videos of bars packed with people singing ‘Olé’ arm in arm, streets filled with South Africans from all backgrounds coming together—it was beyond special. That is truly priceless.”
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