Cape Town - Former Springbok and Stormers captain Corne Krige is happy with the decision to make Siya Kolisi the new captain of the Cape franchise.
Stormers coach Robbie Fleck on Thursday announced that Kolisi will captain the team in the 2017 Super Rugby competition, with lock Eben Etzebeth named as vice-captain.
The 25-year-old Kolisi has earned 76 caps for the Stormers since making his debut in 2012 and will be ably assisted by his good friend and fellow Springbok Etzebeth.
Krige, who was 24 when he became Stormers captain in the 1999 season, has lauded Fleck's decision to invest in youth.
The former Bok skipper took to his official Facebook page to share his views:
Fleck said Kolisi will be well supported by a strong core of senior players within the squad as they tackle a demanding 2017 Super Rugby campaign.
"We have developed a number of strong leaders in this group, so Siya will certainly not be shouldering the responsibility on his own, but we felt it important to appoint someone who the team can rally around,” Fleck said on Tuesday.
"Although still quite young, Siya is already an experienced player who has matured both on and off the field and is one of the most popular and respected players in our squad.”
Kolisi said it is an honour to be asked to captain the Stormers, which is a responsibility that he does not take lightly.
"There have been some great players who have led the Stormers out at Newlands, so for me to be amongst them is both a great privilege and a great responsibility.
"With the support of Eben and the rest of the senior players in the squad I am confident that we can create something special that our fans can be proud of," he said.
Etzebeth said that having played alongside Kolisi in a Stormers jersey for five seasons, he is looking forward to the new challenge that lies ahead of them.
"Siya and I have played together for a long time and I am honoured to stand beside him as we look to take the Stormers to the next level," he commented.