Esterhuizen captaincy expands Bok leadership group ahead of World Cup
Rewarded after rallying the Sharks in his first season as captain at the Durban union, André Esterhuizen received the Players' Player of the Year award.
André Esterhuizen's selection as the Springbok captain, rather than more experienced players like Eben Etzebeth or Handré Pollard, serves multiple objectives, according to head coach Rassie Erasmus. The 68th Test captain in the country's history will take the field at inside centre against the Wallabies in a one-off Test at Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday.
This decision comes despite the fact that both Etzebeth and Pollard, who have captained the national team before, have yet to lead the Springboks in this specific match.
Regular captain Siya Kolisi and stand-ins Jesse Kriel and Pieter-Steph du Toit are among the players who are being rested for the game. Esterhuizen, the Sharks Players' Player of the Year, was only given his first captaincy with the Sharks last season when JP Pietersen took over as head coach. While Pietersen regularly praised Esterhuizen's leadership, the team still struggled, failing to advance past the group stage in the Champions Cup and losing in the Challenge Cup round of 16.
Erasmus highlighted Esterhuizen's leadership qualities, citing his ability to rally players during tough times at the Sharks. He also noted Esterhuizen's willingness to adapt to various roles within the team, from playing behind Damian de Allende and Damian Willemse to joining scrum training and even covering flanker duties when needed.
By officially naming Esterhuizen as captain, Erasmus aims to strengthen the leadership group and prepare for the future, including the 2023 World Cup in Australia. This move will provide additional options in case of injuries and further help build a cohesive leadership voice among the senior players.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
