Siya Kolisi, captain of the South African national team and double world champion, reacted to the National Rugby Federation’s announcement regarding the hooker’s arrival at Racing 92.
Diego Escobar will share a locker room with some of the biggest stars in world rugby. His signing for Racing 92, already anticipated in January, will install him in an exclusive location, where very few Chileans have been before.
A feat which is justified by the great level of the 23-year-old hooker in the World Cup and which already excites his teammates with his arrival, which will take place in the second half of the year. Among this group is Siya Kolisi, captain of South Africa and double world champion.
“Yes brother, I can’t wait.” , this was Kolisi’s message in the Chile Rugby publication announcing the signing of Escobar for the next three years with the France team. The comment was also accompanied by several hearts. “Thank you brother,” replied the national.
The South African third row arrived at Racing 92 in 2023 to join a team which also counts in its ranks stars such as Gael Fickou, Josua Tuisova, Henry Arundell and which from July, in addition to the Chilean, will add Owen Farrell , captain of England.
This is not the first nod to Chile from the man who in 2018 became the first black captain of the Springboks. During the 2023 World Cup in France, he attended, alongside Eben Etzebeth and Chelsin Kolbe (also South African stars), the national team’s duel against Samoa in Bordeaux. There they were photographed in the stands.
It was precisely Escobar’s last match in the World Cup with Cóndores, since in the 63rd minute of the match against the Polynesians he suffered a torn hamstring that eliminated him from the tournament. “Tell them my World Cup ends here. I am returning to Santiago on Friday to recover,” he said on this occasion.
With his signing for Racing 92, the hooker will become the second Chilean to play for this team, since Sergio Valdés did so between 2005 and 2007, when the team was still playing in the second division and had not yet achieved its financial expansion . . He will also be the fourth national rugby player to compete in the Top 14 (honorary category in France) after the experiences of Valdés himself and Pablo Huete alongside José Ramón Ayarza in Bayonne.
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Source: Latercera
I am Robert Harris and I specialize in news media. My experience has been focused on sports journalism, particularly within the Rugby sector. I have written for various news websites in the past and currently work as an author for Athletistic, covering all things related to Rugby news.
