Siya Kolisi hits the gym as he steps up recovery from knee injury

The loose forward appears to be on course to return to action sometime over the next month-and-a-half, when he is expected to play some part in the Boks' Rugby World Cup warm-up games.

Kolisi suffered a partial tear of his anterior cruciate ligament while playing for the Sharks against Munster in the United Rugby Championship in April.

He underwent surgery to repair the issue and it made him a doubt for the global tournament which starts in September.

South African management provided an update in May and were hopeful of seeing him make his comeback for the warm-ups.

"We are hoping that Siya can play in one of those three warm-up matches. Even if he is not 100 percent ready for the Scotland Test, it's a long way to the final of the World Cup," Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus said.

"And being our captain, and having been there and done that, he's maybe the one guy you can say (be ready for) the match before the World Cup. He is the kind of guy that can do it, like in the previous one (where he also had a knee injury before the 2019 tournament)."

A month later and Kolisi echoed Erasmus' sentiments with him targeting a return following the conclusion of the Rugby Championship.

"I'm feeling good, and my rehabilitation is going well," he said. "I'm progressing each week, and I've steadily been able to do new things, so I'm confident with how things are going.

"Hopefully, I'll be able to play in one or two of the Rugby World Cup warm-up games."

Since then, Kolisi has released a video on Instagram of him being put through his paces in the gym, testing that knee out with a variety of exercises.

The flanker became the first black captain of the Springboks in 2018 and a year later led the national team to their third World Cup title.

Kolisi then helped the Boks to defeat the British and Irish Lions in 2021 and will skipper the Boks into the 2023 global tournament if fit.