Siya Kolisi's marriage crumbles

Springbok rugby player Siya Kolisi and his wife Rachel on Tuesday afternoon, released a joint statement announcing that they have decided to end their marriage.

The shocking news comes just after the couple returned to South Africa from France after Siya ended his contract at Racing 92.

"This decision comes from a place of love, respect and understanding that this is the best path forward for both of us. While our relationship as a couple is changing, we remain great friends and committed partners in raising our children with the same love and care they've always known.

"We will also continue working together on the Foundation that means so much to us," read the statement posted on their official social media accounts.

The couple adored by many first met in 2012 at a dinner party in Stellenbosch. They became friends and that was the start of their love story.

In 2015, they welcomed their first child, a son Nicholas Siyamthanda and their daughter Keziah, who was born in 2017. They adopted Siya's younger half-siblings Liyema and Liphelo in 2014.

Due to Siya's busy schedule, Rachel left behind her career as an event manager and marketing executive to become a full-time mother to their four kids. She later headed up their Kolisi Foundation.

Siya and Rachel got married on August 13, 2016, with a beautiful ceremony in Franschhoek that was even captured by "Top Billing" cameras.
The couple, faced rocky patches together, from racial abuse and even had women reportedly try to interfere in her marriage.

Rachel has previously taken to social media to slam women for labelling Siya as a "type" and sending him messages on Instagram that should not be sent to a married man.

Last year, Rachel and Siya celebrated their seventh anniversary, and in a conversation with Siv Ngesi, he opened up about how Rachel stood by him when he was not in a good place, taking in two other children and helping him create a family.
He said: "I wanted a family, I longed for a family. She got pregnant and before Nick was born we found my brother and sister.

"She took in two other kids who couldn't speak a word of English and I was not in a good place. I was living like I had no family. She stayed with me," recounted Siya.

The Kolisi's statement did not shed light on the reason behind the split but they asked for respect as they navigate the transition and thanked the public for the love, understanding and support they had shown them.