He inspired the careers of the likes of Mzwandile Stick and Siya Kolisi, but sadly the world never got to see him fulfil his potential in the green and gold.
Hailing from the rugby-mad province of the Eastern Cape, Solly Tyibilika, first burst onto the scene in 2001 for Griquas while still at high school.
Today would’ve been his 46th birthday.
It only took him three years to catch the eye of the national selectors, and played for the Springbok ‘A’ team in 2004. In November that year, he made his Springbok debut against Scotland at Murrayfield, and celebrated the occasion by crossing the whitewash.
Tyibilika earned seven more Bok caps and scored two more tries until 2006. He scored 24 tries for Griquas, the Sharks, Lions and Border, appearing 158 times before his untimely death in 2011.
Photo: Duif du Toit/Gallo Images
