For Hollywoodbets Sharks captain Vincent Tshituka, the honour of the leadership role he has been entrusted with comes with both responsibility and expectation.
It is not a role he takes lightly, but certainly one he embraces for the opportunity to develop as a rugby player and as a person, not to mention the honour he feels being entrusted with the captaincy of the Hollywoodbets Sharks that has been bestowed on him.
“I love the challenge,” he admits enthusiastically.
“There’s the performance expected of you as a player, but as a captain, there’s a level of ownership you take on for the entire team. It’s something that’s really challenged me, but I’m still growing and learning from the senior guys.
“There are a lot of players in the squad who have captained before. These are guys I can lean on as well.”
He has also reinforced the belief that captaincy should never change a player. It is a role he plays, but it shouldn’t detract from the person he is.
“The biggest thing for me is to remain authentically myself,” he says. “I’m a person who loves to lead by action and sacrifice; I love to put my body on the line; that’s my natural way of leading."
“It’s been a challenge, but in the best way. I’m not only growing as a player, but as a man as well.”
Captains are often elevated beyond normal expectations of the contribution a player should make on the field and for some people, the leadership role can be a daunting one: the spotlight is on you and you may reap support or you may face criticism for the way you play, how you lead or the decisions you make on the field.
For others, it’s a motivating factor to lead by example, to set the tone and to drive your team-mates to similar heights.
For Tshituka, it’s a positive, rather than a burden.
“With great power comes great responsibility as the saying goes, and it’s exactly that,” he admits.
“It’s an opportunity and definitely not a burden, but with the opportunity comes a massive weight. ‘Burden’ is probably the wrong word, but certainly there’s a weight that comes with that responsibility.
“In every game I get to captain, I try to do my utmost best and I always try to lead by being a good example of how and what the coaches and players want from each other.
“It’s honestly a privilege, a great privilege.”
