WARRIORS skipper GJ van Velze said it is a massive privilege to be handed the captain’s armband again but insists he is not the only leader on the pitch.
Head coach Carl Hogg recently announced the 6ft 5in South African would again lead from the front ahead of the 2016/17 Aviva Premiership campaign and praised his ability to control chaotic situations in the game.
However, the Springbok, who has led the Sixways outfit since his arrival in 2014, believes there is still pressure on his shoulders.
“I really enjoy leading the team. It’s a massive privilege. It was tough times last year, but we’ve got such a big leadership group so it makes my job a lot easier,” said van Velze.
“Despite being the skipper, I wouldn’t single myself out as the one and only captain in our squad. It might be on my name, but at the end of the day we have so many leaders on the field.
“Being named captain again still provides pressure. There is always pressure as rugby is all about pressure and how players handle it.
“It helps that we’re relatively the same group as last season and as a team, we’re not going to be changing how we’ve gone about our business.
“There’s a lot of hard work that lies ahead for me but I’m looking forward to it.
“Our first game against Saracens will only be the second time in the club’s history we’ve played at Twickenham, so it’ll be a very special occasion for me to lead the team out.
“So many players will never have the opportunity to captain their team at one of the best stadiums in the world. It’ll be a special day.”
The 28-year-old also said a slight improvement to the team’s game could land them in the top six of the Premiership.
“We identified how certain things went in attack and defence last season. We’ve looked at our general play and how we can improve our game, whether it be by just three per cent or five per cent,” he added.
“That small improvement could put us in the top six if results go our way but, overall, setting targets is a difficult thing.
“Do you aim for the stars or do you take it game by game? We just want to improve on a daily basis. It may be an old cliché but it works.
“If we can pick up the results we were due last year we’ll have another great season.”