With South Africa in lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic, Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and his wife, Rachel, are doing their bit to help those in need.

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Kolisi, who grew up poor in the Zwedi township just outside Port Elizabeth, said in an interview with CNN Sport that he knows the feeling of going to bed on an empty stomach.

His foundation is providing food parcels and protective equipment to townships during this period.

“For me, it’s personal because I know there’s nothing worse than hunger. There’s nothing worse than listening to your stomach before you go to bed. And you just hear grumbling, you have nothing to eat, you’ve got no other choice,” Kolisi said.

As of Tuesday evening, there were 4 996 confirmed Covid-19 cases in South Africa with 93 deaths and Kolisi fears the scale of the impact “could be huge”.

“That’s what gets me going and keeps me motivated to work as hard as I can to try and help the frontline workers… I’m not disadvantaged anymore, you know, and I don’t see myself like that. But I know what it feels like. What I’m trying to say is you don’t have to come from there to be able to give back. There’s no better feeling than helping somebody else,” he said.

Kolisi, 28, is the first black African to captain the Springboks and last year led the team to Rugby World Cup glory in Japan where they beat England 32-12 in the final in Yokohama.

WATCH in the video clip below where Siya and Rachel discuss the work of their foundation and the special permit allowing them to conduct crucial work in townships:

“There’s nothing worse than hunger. There’s nothing worse than listening to your stomach before you go to bed and you hear grumbling”

South Africa’s World Cup-winning captain @SiyaKolisi_Bear is helping townships during lockdown. By @chrissymacCNN

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— CNN Sport (@cnnsport) April 28, 2020