Sports Moments 2019: From Triple-Doubles to Teammates Colliding

Our sportswriters had a front-row seat to some of the best events of the year. We asked them to share a moment that left an impression on them.

The rugby captain’s role is almost mythical — with few parallels in sports. Hockey comes close, but having two or three alternate captains per team dilutes the impact. Two moments with two special captains at the Rugby World Cup in Japan stood out for me.

The first occurred after Japan lost to South Africa in the quarterfinals. After congratulating their opponents and saluting fans, Michael Leitch — Japan’s New Zealand-born, half-Fijian captain — solemnly led his team off the field in its “arrow” formation, each player with a hand on a teammate’s shoulder. Leitch, who speaks Japanese beautifully, is wildly popular and was the face of the host nation’s upstart team that had advanced to the knockout stage for the first time. The crowd went wild.

Then in the final, after South Africa defeated England, it was thrilling to watch South Africa’s first black captain, Siya Kolisi, lift the Webb Ellis Cup.

Source: The New York Times

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Keywords:

Sport • Rugby football • Sport • Hockey • Rugby World Cup • Japan • Japan • South Africa • Michael Leitch • Japan • New Zealand • Fiji • Captain (sports) • South Africa • England national rugby union team • South Africa national rugby union team • Siya Kolisi • Webb Ellis Cup •