Rugby
Smit named Sharks skipper
2010-01-19 11:35
Email | Print
Durban - Springbok captain John Smit will again lead the Sharks in this year's Super 14 competition, it was announced on Tuesday by coach John Plumtree.
Plumtree said in previous years, because of Smit’s commitment to the Springboks, it was felt it was better to appoint another player as captain to ensure continuity. This thinking has now changed and is good news for players and supporters.
“It was obviously a tough decision to make, considering the exceptional work put in by Johann Muller and Stefan Terblanche over the last two years.
"Smit is widely acknowledged as the best captain in world rugby and is an exceptional leader. With the three of them being good mates, he will continue to have the full backing of Johann and Stefan and all the players are very supportive of this decision,” said Plumtree
A veteran of 159 games for the Sharks, Smit was first appointed as captain back in 2001, at the age of 23. He successfully managed this role until 2007, captaining the Sharks on 56 occasions.
Smit said he was conscious of the fact that he can call upon the advice and input from two great leaders in Muller and Terblanche, making his job so much easier.
"This is a wonderful situation to be in and I am confident the Sharks will have a very good season this year. To be able to lead such a talented team is very rewarding for me,” Smit said.