Boks will play for Jannie - Siya

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi sent out a special message of support on behalf of the national side to former Bok Jannie du Plessis and his family after the tragic death of his son in a drowning incident earlier this week.

Kolisi said the Boks would be “playing for Jannie and his family” when they take the pitch against England and expressed the team’s heartfelt condolences at the loss they suffered.

“We’ve been talking this week about what happened to Jannie and his family and it’s very tough. We have been speaking about him and a lot of the guys are close to him. It makes you think about your own family and our thoughts are with him and his family,” Kolisi said.

“We will use it as motivation, and I know we can’t make a big difference, but we will go out there and play for him.

“He is a Springbok and he has given so much to this jersey. We want to let him know that the Springboks are thinking of him and all we can do is send our prayers to the family.”

Du Plessis’s young one-year old son Jan Nathaniel drowned on Jannie’s birthday earlier this week, sending shockwaves through the rugby community and an outpouring of condolences for the popular player.

Du Plessis and his family released a statement through his agent Gerrie Swart on Thursday, saying the family was “devastated.”

“We are devastated and our hearts are naturally very sore,” the statement said.

“We can confirm the heartbreaking news that our son Jan Nathaniel died in a tragic accident on Tuesday night. We want to thank everyone for their prayers, their thoughts and their help. We ask that everyone respects our privacy as we work through this.”

Du Plessis is currently contracted to the Emirates Lions.