VIDEO: Moerat to build on Kitsie's legacy
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Despite heading in a new direction, Salmaan Moerat will stay true to the legacy of former skipper Steven Kitshoff.
Moerat was named the Stormers’ skipper for the 2023/2024 season on Thursday.
The 25-year-old takes over the reins from Kitshoff – the most capped Stormers player of all time.
Kitshoff has entrenched himself in the history of the Stormers and his departure to Irish giants Ulster has left a big void.
He led the Stormers to a United Rugby Championship triumph in 2022 and to the 2023 URC Final in May.
Unfortunately, he was denied a fairytale farewell as the Stormers went down 14-19 to Munster in that Final at the Cape Town Stadium.
However, while it is major shoes to fill, Moerat has vowed to continue to build on Kitshoff’s success as a leader.
The 25-year-old is no stranger to the role having led the team in previous campaigns and was the first player to captain the Stormers in the URC back in 2021.
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“With this opportunity [of being captain of the Stormers] comes a large responsibility,” Moerat told reporters.
“I need to serve the team first and it is a massive honour and privilege.”
“There have been some fantastic individuals before me like Kitsie [Kisthoff], so I’m not going to try to change much.
“Kitsie has done some great work here and instilled some great values”
He added: “Kitsie was not a man of many words, he often led by example and that is something I tried to mould my game around.
“I really have to give respect to him for setting that example, so I will really try my best to chip into that.”
Moerat said he would not reinvent the wheel and would stick to the fundamentals his predecessors had laid.
“This is a fairly experienced group of players – a lot of the Springboks are not here at the moment – and at the end of the day, they all know their jobs.
“I think if I can play well on game day, that’s half of my work done as captain, so my responsibility will be to perform first of all.”
The lock missed a big chunk of last season after he picked up a serious knee injury during the Champions Cup match at Cape Town Stadium in December.
However, the 25-year-old has recovered well and should be fit for the start of the season in October.
“I’m currently in full swing with the guys in pre-season training, so I should be ready for the first couple of warm-up games.”
The Stormes are set to play warm-up matches against SWD Eagles and the Sharks before they kick off their URC campaign against the Lions at Ellis Park On October 21.
