Sapsford hails captain after re-signing with Brumbies
Sebastian Tan |
Ollie Sapsford has lauded inspirational captain Ryan Lonergan after extending his contract with the ACT Brumbies for at least another two years.
Sapsford described his contract extension on Thursday as a “no-brainer”, with the winger also enjoying the option of a third season.
He credited Lonergan, who is having a stellar season with the Brumbies, as his on-field influence and for the Canberrans’ third place on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder.
Sapsford says while Lonergan has been playing well for a long time, his off-field impact was “impeccable”.
“The thing that I’m most grateful about coming to this club is the person that I’m becoming,” Sapsford said.
“I’m still not where I want to be, but I’ve come a long way from 2021 off the field and on the field, and that’s due to the boys in here.
“Ryan’s one of them. He’s very black and white. He knows what’s right and what’s wrong. He’s just a really solid leader.
“He’s always been a standout player since I’ve been here, and I’m just super pumped for him to see the experience and skill set that he has flowing into his games.”
Lonergan currently leads the competition on points (57), having orchestrated tries, scoring his own and registering a mammoth number of passes.
It’s only strengthened the 27-year-old’s case for another Wallabies call-up after making his international debut last year.
Sapsford has played 58 games for the side, with his contributions earning him a call-up for the Australia A team.
“When I was 20, I set myself a goal to play Super Rugby,” the 30-year-old Sapsford said.
“I was super proud when I played 50 games last year. I couldn’t really believe it at the time.
“I feel like I’ve still got more to give, and I’ve got high goals as well.”
The Brumbies are having a much-needed bye week after going down 30-28 to bitter rivals Waratahs last Friday night.
Sapsford says he’s used the time to play some golf and hang out with his family as Canberra prepare to face the Highlanders next Friday.
“At that Waratahs game, there was probably a little bit of fatigue out there, so mentally it’s a really good opportunity for us to freshen up,” he said.
“We’re not where we want to be, but that’s ok … We’ve got seven games to get better, and we’ll just be finding our feet as we come into finals.”
AAP