The 'tough time' that paved the way for Esterhuizen's Bok captaincy
SPOTLIGHT: Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus admits he saw something special in Andre Esterhuizen when the centre took over the Sharks’ captaincy last season.
The 32-year-old will become the 68th player to captain the Boks when the team runs out for their showdown against the Wallabies in Perth on Sunday.
He will form a midfield partnership with Canan Moodie in a side that features 13 changes from the starting XV that battled the All Blacks in Baltimore.
Esterhuizen has established himself as a “hybrid player” in the Bok camp, but Rassie believes the bulky midfielder has added another string to his bow during a difficult 2025/2026 season when the Sharks ended 10th in the United Rugby Championship standings.
“The way he has been carrying himself whilst being the Sharks’ captain when they went through a tough time, I really thought he sort of pulled them together with JP [Pietersen] and the whole set-up there,” said Erasmus.
“What he has meant to us, serving the team a helluva lot and accepting his role as flanker or centre or playing off the bench, that’s the kind of players we enjoy in the team.
“We could’ve just given the captaincy to Eben [Etzebeth] again, but we know what Eben brings as a captain.”
Erasmus is also covering all his bases should there be a crisis.
“If we get a couple of injuries going forward into the World Cup and so on and we have to press on somebody’s number, Andre will be another one.
“We feel he really deserves an opportunity.
“Being a Bok captain, you suddenly feel what it’s like to lead a country, and you become better at supporting the other captain.”
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