South Africa's World Cup winner Cheslin Kolbe prefers Lions series over Tokyo Olympics

World Cup winning South Africa international Cheslin Kolbe said he would be preferring the series against British and Irish Lions next year over the Tokyo Olympics.

The Lions are scheduled to tour South Africa for a three-game series next year and there is a chance that it might collide with the Tokyo Olympics after the event was postponed to 2021 following the pandemic coronavirus.

The 26-year-old was already a part of the South Africa 7s when they clinched the bronze medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics but insisted that playing against the Lions would be more special.

"Although I would love to play sevens for my country at the Tokyo Olympics, to be part of a British and Irish Lions series is a goal I really want to achieve and I would like to be a part of that because it only happens every 12 years," he told Planet Rugby.

"Next year would be my only chance to face them, if I do get selected, as I won't be around for their next tour so I would definitely go for that option."

Kolbe made his debut for South Africa in 2018 and has played for them in 14 Tests. He was one of the two try-scorers for the Springboks in the victorious 2019 World Cup final against England in Yokohama.