John Plumtree appoints Keegan Daniel as Sharks’ captain for 2011 Currie Cup – Rugby news
Sharks head Coach, John Plumtree, has appointed their loose forward prop, Keegan Daniel, as captain for the 2011 Currie Cup campaign. Plumtree made the announcement in his weekly media briefing on Tuesday, July 12. He has also announced Stefan Terblanche as the vice-captain for the Sharks.
Absa Currie Cup is South Africa’s premier domestic competition in which eight teams participate. The current tournament will kick start on Saturday, July 16.
Commenting on his decision to appoint Daniel as the Sharks captain, Plumtree said, “He was a good choice is because he’s so passionate about the jersey, he’s been a consistent performer over the last couple of seasons, it’s that type of respect the team has for him and he has for the jersey.”
The newly appointed Sharks captain has shown his satisfaction with his new role. He has termed the opportunity to captain the Sharks as an honour and great achievement. Daniel further added, “I’ve also been very blessed to play under great leaders like Johann Muller, Stefan and John Smit, they’ve been mentors in my life and being close to them has helped me develop and grow not only my game but my mental maturity as well.”
Daniel has shown his excitement for working with the younger group of players. He added that he understands the additional responsibilities the captaincy brings on the field. He said, “Being a leader in any institution, when you have a group underneath you, you have to understand how different people work and what makes them tick, and that’s going to be key.”
Commenting on the appointment of Terblanche, Plumtree said, “Stefan Terblanche has a fair bit of experience and wisdom to help him out.”
Plumtree has termed the Daniel’s exclusion from the 2011 Rugby World Cup training squad as “unfortunate” and termed him unlucky. However, keeping in view the Springboks’ growing number of injuries, Daniel has an outside chance of making a return to the Springboks squad.
Commenting on Daniels exclusion, Plumtree further added, “It’s always disappointing when you have got good players who perform consistently in the Super Rugby tournament like Keegan has but hasn’t had an opportunity yet.”
Sharks will play their first match of the 2011 Currie Cup against the Vodacom Blue Bulls on Saturday, July 16 at Mr Price Kings Park, Durban.
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