Lock and veteran Patrick Tuipulotu has been named as the Blues Captain for the upcoming Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific season.
Tuipulotu previously captained the side from 2019 to 2021 and is on the cusp of becoming a Blues centurion, finishing the 2023 season on 99 caps.
He says being named as Blues Captain is an honour he does not take lightly.
The Blues skipper says the feeling you get leading this side into battle each week is something special.
He says they have got a core of experienced Blues men who lead in their own way and it is his job to empower that group of leaders to help propel the team forward.
Tuipulotu says captaincy comes with a weight of expectation – they represent the people of their region and as a team they strive to do their fans proud whenever they pull on the Blues jersey.
He says they have set themselves high standards for the 2024 campaign, and believe they have the squad to do something special and are working hard in the pre-season to make that a reality.
Former Flying Fijians and Blues Head Coach Vern Cotter says Tuipulotu has a strong influence around the team.
Cotter says Patty is a natural leader in this group, he is an experienced head with nearly 100 caps for the team and has the respect of the players around him.
The coach says he is confident he will do an excellent job leading the Blues this season.
He says they have got a group of guys in their squad with a range of leadership experience, so they will provide a sounding board and help lighten the load for Patty throughout their campaign.
Tuipulotu was also keen to point out the impact his players can have on the community and region through their actions off the field.
He says as part of their pre-season they had their Fill the Blues Bus campaign where they collected gifts for the Salvation Army.
Tuipulotu adds doing community projects like that help keep the boys grounded and give them an appreciation of the people and community they are playing for.
The Blues host the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua in their first game on February 24th in Auckland.
Patrick Tuipulotu will lead @BluesRugbyTeam in season 2024 🙌#SuperRugbyPacific pic.twitter.com/AkR25IGDJx
— Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) January 15, 2024
