Meet TuksRugby’s new Varsity Cup captain
"There is no room for error. That is why the captain must be informed at all times.”
The new TuksRugby Varsity Cup team captain, Sango Xamlashe, may be perceived to be loud on the rugby field.
But there is a reason why Xamlashe is doing what he is doing.
He is encouraging his teammates, advising them, because he wants the team to win.
Xamlashe compares his continuous talking to a pilot coming in for a landing.
“There are always a lot of variables at stake when an aeroplane approaches the landing strip – there is no room for error. That is why the captain must be informed at all times. I see my role on the rugby field as the same,” said Xamlashe.
“I am an excellent communicator. I could talk all day on and off the field. I think communication brings calmness to everyone on the field as they need to know what is happening. It is when things become silent that things tend to go wrong.”
This not shying away from extra responsibility is one reason why TuksRugby’s head coach, Nico Luus decided to make Zamlashe captain.
Xamlashe is the first black player who will captain Tuks ahead of the 2021 Varsity Cup season.
He has recently changed positions and started to play as a flyhalf.
“My DNA as a rugby player is still that of a flyhalf. I strive towards being tactically astute.
“The one good thing about last year’s Covid-19 pandemic lockdown was that it gave me time to reflect about the way rugby is changing and how you, as a player, must evolve to adapt to it.
“No one of us can ever afford to rest on our laurels. There is always something to improve on.”
Xamlashe said he couldn’t wait to take to the field again.
“It is nearly a year since we last played. Needless to say, we are all dying for an opportunity to be between the four white lines. Especially since we don’t know if we will get a chance to play rugby again after Varsity Cup. We can only hope.”
Before rugby, the Tuks captain was once a sprint canoe racer.
“I was an avid canoeist. I competed provincially. When I was 16, I had an opportunity to be at a training camp in Germany.
“Unfortunately, I literally outgrew the sport. I got too big to fit in a sprint canoe, but I plan to take up the sport again after rugby,” he said.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
