Tera makes history as captain
The Sharks have named talented loose forward Lubabalo Mtembu as captain for their Currie Cup campaign, the first black player to get the honour.
Mtembu, affectionately known as Tera, has come through the Sharks Academy ranks.
This dedicated, free-spirited and hard-working youngster has always displayed leadership qualities and is a well-liked and respected member of the squad.
These commendable attributes contributed to him being entrusted with the captaincy armband, whenever he was not on senior duty, during this year's Vodacom Cup campaign.
Mtembu made his debut for the Sharks in 2012 in both the Super Rugby and the Currie Cup tournaments and whenever opportunities presented themselves to play for the senior team he has shown that he has the passion and x-factor to succeed at the highest level.
Confirming his decision to appoint Mtembu as captain, the Sharks Director of Rugby Jake White said he has "great faith" in his ability.
"My hope is that he embraces this leadership role and gains valuable experience as the tournament progresses, which will assist us in grooming him to take the next step into becoming a more consistent Super Rugby player, who can eventually stake a claim for international honours," White said.
"Tera is an outstanding and intelligent player with a bright future ahead of him, said Currie Cup head coach, Brad Macleod-Henderson.
"He will do a fantastic job and I look forward to working with him during the Currie Cup campaign."
The Sharks CEO, Smit, added: "I am delighted that Tera has been handed the captaincy for the Currie Cup tournament. I believe that he has the talent and perseverance to become a great player.
"He becomes the 72nd player to be given the honour of captaining a Sharks team and more impressively for him, the first black player to do so.
"This is an incredible achievement for a gifted player who has many years of rugby ahead of him and this responsibility will certainly motivate him to strive for greater heights in his career."
Mtembu spoke of the "great honour and privilege" to be entrusted with the responsibility of leading a world-renowned team such as the Sharks, when asked about his appointment.
"I thank our CEO, Director of Rugby and the rest of our coaching staff for believing in me and for affording me this opportunity," he said.
"I look forward to the challenge ahead and know that I will have the support and backing of our coaching staff, younger players and the senior group of players in our squad. As a team we will work together to ensure that we reach the goals we set-out for ourselves in this year's competition."
Remarking on Mtembu's appointment, former Natal captain, Gary Teichmann stated: "On the rare occasion that I have interacted with Tera, I have been impressed with his confidence and approach to life and this will certainly stand him in good stead as a leader.
"I wish him well on his appointment and the campaign ahead."
