Armband goes to proud Kolisi
ONE OF OUR MOST RESPECTED, POPULAR PLAYERS
Springbok flank Siya Kolisi follows in the footsteps of some great leaders after he was confirmed as Stormers captain yesterday. Making his debut in the Super Rugby opener against the Bulls at Newlands this weekend, Kolisi takes over from centre Juan de Jongh and prop Frans Malherbe who acted as co-captains last year, after the policy of co-captains was ditched this year.
“There have been some great players who have led the Stormers out at Newlands, so for me to be among them is both a great privilege and a great responsibility,” said Kolisi.
Bok lock Eben Etzebeth has been named vice-captain and together the two have come a long way with the Stormers brand.
“With the support of Eben and the rest of the senior players in the squad I am confident we can create something special our fans can be proud of,” Kolisi added.
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 said.
With previous leaders of the Stormers like Jean de Villiers, Deon Fourie, Duane Vermeulen and Schalk Burger now either retired or having gone to play abroad, coach Robbie Fleck said Kolisi has proved his leadership abilities.
“We have developed a number of strong leaders in this group, so Siya will certainly not be shouldering all the responsibility on his own, but we felt it important to appoint someone who the team can rally around,” said Fleck.
“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.”