Siya Kolisi Is the South African National Rugby Team's First Black Captain

After 128 years as a league, the famous South African rugby team, the Springboks, will have their first black captain.

With the previous captain dealing with an injury, 26 year-old Flank, Siya Kolisi will take on the role, and will lead the team in the team against an upcoming three-match series against England starting on June 9, BBC Sports reports. Kolisi is one of the team's star players, and has made 28 appearances since joining in 2013.

Black players were barred from playing the sport professionally during apartheid, according toBBC Sport. Kolisi's appointment comes 24 years after the end of apartheid, pointing to the ongoing racial exclusion that exists within the sport. To help combat this, the South African government has determined that half of the team at the 2019 Rugby Cup in Japan must be black.

South Africans have been sharing congratulatory messages and celebrating their first black captain on social media.