Mtembu issue not black and white

The reaction to Tera Mtembu being named the Sharks' first black captain has been predictably mixed.

For their part the Sharks - who have long traded (rightly or wrongly) as the most enlightened of the big unions - backed a young man from whom they expect great things.

The politicians, who only ever seem to see colour in these things, were swift to laud the decision while the vast majority of the trolls on sport24 dismissed the whole thing as politics interfering with their beloved rugby.

For me the call harked back to 2006, when out of the blue Jake White made Chiliboy Ralepelle his Springbok XV captain for the game against the World XV.

I remember describing the move as window dressing because not only was Ralepelle 19 at the time, he had also only made his debut for the Boks in that year's Tri-Nations and was a peripheral member of the squad at best.

The obvious thing to ask was whether he had earned respect from the dressing room, and the answer could be seen in the way the Boks looked rudderless in that World XV game.

So when it emerged that White was again behind a decision to promote a youngster who also hadn't earned the respect of the changing room with his deeds on the field, my old prejudices came flooding back.

But then came the question: why not?

Former Proteas captain Graeme Smith got the tap on the shoulder at 22 and, although it took the best part of a decade for him to get the hang of it, he is now regarded as a colossus when it comes to leaders of men.

So why could a similar thing not happen with the 23-year-old Mtembu?

The job will come with its challenges, especially seeing that the Sharks have suggested their contracted Springboks are unlikely to see any Currie Cup action.

The moment the team loses twice on the trot, it'll be the new captain's fault as opposed to the whole team and its coaches.

Mtembu will also have to earn respect on two fronts: the dressing room and the wider public.

For all the praise that has come his way since his appointment, not enough has been seen of Mtembu on the field. On the few occasions I have seen him, the eighthman/blindside flank has come across as explosive, hard-working and intelligent.

But in a team loaded with the likes of Willem Alberts, Jean Deysel and Ryan Kankowski, opportunities were hard to come by. As captain, who should start as a result, it should be easier convincing his team-mates to follow him.

That can't be said for the majority of the rugby public. In the same way that most people out there still don't buy into a black flyhalf, they don't believe a black player has any business leading the team either.

But there are encouraging signs around the appointment. For starters, Sharks chief executive John Smit, who was the nearest thing to a Kofi Annan in rugby boots, was part of the decision.

One would like to think the former Bok captain recognised a bit in Mtembu that reminded him of himself when he was starting out on his path to being "captain in the cauldron".

Even more encouraging was Mtembu's response to being given what could turn out to be quite a burden.

He thought about every reason he shouldn't do it and decided he would. That tells you everything you want to know about his leadership potential.

The key thing is for the people who have appointed him to be patient. He'll bump his head as he finds his leadership style, but if this isn't a publicity stunt they must back him in spite of public opinion.