Springboks captain Siya Kolisi in danger of missing Rugby World Cup

South Africa could be without their skipper Siya Kolisi for the Rugby World Cup title defence in France later this year following a knee injury.

The 23-year-old sustained the injury while playing for Sharks in the United Rugby Championship game against Munster last Saturday and is set to undergo a surgery.

The Sharks on Monday revealed that the World Cup winning Boks captain underwent a scan on Monday and will be consulting a specialist.

According to a report from The Independent, a source "with knowledge of the injury", said he had suffered a partial tear to his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and damaged the meniscus on both sides of the joint.

The report further added that if he undergoes a surgery, Kolisi could be out of action for at least nine months which will effectively rule him out of the World Cup. However, if he decides against going for the surgery, he could take at least four months to recover completely but could keep him injury prone.

South Africa will be kick starting their Rugby Championship campaign in July when they face Australia in Pretoria. Following the Rugby Championship, South Africa will play Tests against Argentina, Wales and the All Blacks leading to the Rugby World Cup.