Friday is travel day and the team departs for Canberra where they will stay until Sunday morning and then return to Sydney. A down-pour and airplane traffic congestion delay the flight by 40 minutes but sunny weather greats the team on arrival in Brumby-Town.

Despite the setbacks and weather in particular, the team have been in high-spirits all week and this is testament to the camaraderie and team spirit that exists in the camp. It’s not easy living out of a suitcase, nor being holed up in the hotel day after day, but enterprising and fun activities always mean that Sharks tours are never boring.

Anyhow, there is a “no complaints” policy on tour and woe betide the person who has negative things to say!

There are some budding life-guards in the team with brothers Jannie and Bismarck du Plessis, BJ Botha and AJ Venter battling the Coogee Beach shore break and jogging on the beach early every morning and after training every afternoon. Along with their gym and training programme, it’s a big effort from the committed players, although they will get a respite over the weekend at inland Canberra.

Fat testing takes place and Stefan Terblanche, at 5.8%, leads the way. Craig Burden is the leading forward. In fact, the players have done well and every single one of them have lowered their fat levels. This has more to do with the professionalism in the team than the hotel food which is excellent and varied.

At the beginning of the season at a training camp held at Michaelhouse in the KZN Midlands, the players split into groups and each group had to deliver a presentation on what it was going to take to have a successful season. Keegan Daniel delivered a speech on behalf of his team that spoke about professionalism both on and off the field, that letting standards slip on an individual basis would have an effect on the team, and that it would be letting team-mates down if one dropped one’s professional attitude.

This inspirational speech continues to rub-off on the team. Further evidence is an email received from New Zealand praising the Sharks while out at dinner:

“Dear Michael,




Just a quick letter to let you know that everyone in the Queenstown Hospitality Industry who came into contact with the boys during their recent stay in town were incredibly impressed with the team.


I'm a Duty Manager at Winnie's Gourmet Pizza Bar and had the pleasure of hosting some of the boys one night for dinner. We get a lot of rugby players through our doors and let me say that the manners, conduct and presentation of your boys impressed not only myself, but many other establishments around town.


I'm a lady and we gossip. Especially about burly rugby players... All the feedback was fantastic.


Please pass this little comment on to the coach and managers. I'd also like to offer to host the Sharks party at my restaurant and bar next time you're down our way.




Good luck for the season!

Kind regards,


Erin Kuter”

Saturday is match day. After breakfast the team heads off to play putt-putt. The match only kicks off at 7.40pm here and a long day needs to be broken up and a bit of fun thrown in to ease the pressure ahead of the game.

Although the weather man predicted cool but clear weather, once again cloudy and overcast conditions have followed the Sharks.

But with the table-topping Crusaders having lost to the Chiefs last night in what coach Dick Muir calls “A sensational result”, the Sharks have the very real opportunity of hauling in their lead. But they know their destiny is in their own hands . . .

Michael Marnewick – Canberra