Hollywoodbets Sharks XV captain Nick Hatton led his young side in the Carling Currie Cup with aplomb, and while the season didn’t quite deliver the results on the field, it was the growth and development of the young players that bodes well for the future.
Hatton is no stranger to the leadership role, having captained Hilton College 1st XV and serving as Head of School in matric, before captaining the Hollywoodbets Sharks in their Carling Currie Cup winning campaign last year at only 21 years of age.
Looking back over the campaign, he explains that, “Upfront, we knew we were a young team, but we really emphasised the fact that we weren’t going to let that be an excuse. It wasn’t a negative being a young group, we wanted to see it as a positive thing.
“We could see why people were frustrated, we were more frustrated during those first two weeks and we were really disappointed at how we were performing for our fans.
“But it was cool to see how we fought in the games following that.”
As he reviews the season, he points out that, “It was a very tough start for us, no excuses, but we struggled in those two first games, it was a tough two weeks. Then the next two games, although we didn’t win, I think that’s where we turned the corner and there were a lot more positive signs of the team that we were becoming.
“We showed lots of good fight in those two games and the performances were on a higher level.
“The last three, we stayed in the fight. That win against DHL Western Province was awesome and I think we built on that with the transition in coaching staff and the involvement of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
“From there we managed to grind out two more victories.”
The Carling Currie Cup campaign was justifiably set up to blood young players, give them opportunities to grow, and then to force their way into the Vodacom United Rugby Championship squad, adding depth, particularly in the early stages of the tournament when Springboks are away and injuries add to the challenge.
“We could see where we were from week one to week seven, we all developed and got a lot better as a group,” he says. “Obviously we always want to win, but we know the focus was on development and that was the bigger picture.
“As players, our job was to perform as well as we could and we really wanted to win, and growth and development went hand-in-hand.”
From a personal perspective, he takes many positives from the campaign.
“I learned a lot as a player and as a leader during the first two weeks. It was a tough fortnight to get through, but I believe I’ve come out of that having learned so much.
“I think overall, I’ve enjoyed a lot of growth over this campaign. It’s also worth mentioning that it was very different this year and I knew that upfront. Last year we had a senior core or spine in our team and it was something I realised the importance of this year when we didn’t have those guys with experience.”
What Hatton also came to understand was that performance must always take priority over any other role, because ultimately that’s what counts the most.
“So I learned a different side to leading and to playing, with balancing your role as a player when you are a leader. It was important to realise that, as a player, whether you’re a captain or not, your performance has to come first.
“That was a good lesson I learned.”
