Boks to monitor Kolisi's progress, team doctor says it's too early to make prediction on return

SA Rugby has provided an update on the condition of Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, who underwent a knee operation in Cape Town last Friday.

Kolisi, 31, suffered the injury playing a URC game for the Sharks against Munster in Durban on 22 April.

In a statement on Wednesday morning, SA Rugby said it "would monitor" Kolisi's recovery and rehabilitation.

SA Rugby said Springbok team doctor Jerome Mampane and his medical team will keep a watchful eye over Kolisi in the coming months.

Mampane said it was too early to make any reliable forecasts on when Kolisi will return to action.

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber added: "We wish Siya well during his recovery and we know that he will do everything possible to return to play soon as possible."

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Kolisi will be in a race against time to be fit for the Rugby World Cup in France later this year. The World Cup runs from 8 September to 28 October.

The national skipper will almost certainly miss the Boks' start to the Test season when they contest the Rugby Championship.

South Africa will play two matches at home against Australia (Loftus Versfeld, 8 July) and Argentina (Ellis Park, 29 July) interspersed with away games against New Zealand (Auckland, 15 July) and Argentina (Buenos Aires, 5 August).

Their World Cup preparation will be wrapped up with games against Wales in Cardiff (19 August) and New Zealand in London (25 August) before heading south to France for their World Cup title defence.

At the World Cup, the Boks will feature in Pool B alongside Ireland, Scotland, Tonga and Romania.

South Africa's 33-man squad for the World Cup will be named on 8 August.