OVER the years Siya Kolisi has cemented himself as one of the most iconic players in the world rugby.

Sadly in October 2024, his life off the pitch was dealt a blow when it was revealed that he and his wife Rachel were getting a divorce. Here we look at her story.

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Rachel Smith was born in Grahamstown, which is around 80 miles from Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Her birthday is on January 21, 1990, and she is a year older than her husband, whose date of birth is June 16, 1991.

Rachel is the co-founder and CEO of the Kolisi Foundation.

She is also an Instagram influencer and has a huge following of over 550K fans on her popular handle.

Married with kids

The couple got married on August 13, 2016, and they have two children.

Rachel and Siya welcomed their son Nicholas Siyamthanda in 2015.

Then in 2021, they added a daughter to their family called Keziah.

They also adopted Siya’s young half-siblings Liyema and Liphelo, after their mother died in 2009.

The break-up

On October 23, 2024, the couple revealed they had split up and were getting divorced.

They released a joint statement on Instagram and said their split was “mutual and amicable”.

“This decision comes from a place of love, respect and understanding that this is the best path forward for both of us,” they said.

They did not give reasons for their break-up but acknowledged the challenges they have faced as a couple.

The pair said they would still co-parent their four children and continue to work together on their foundation that they have set up.