Waikato has confirmed that the 2018 Mitre 10 Cup campaign will be led by co-captains Luke Jacobson and Dwayne Sweeney.

Head Coach Jono Gibbes said, “Naming Luke and Dwayne as co-captains was an obvious choice, as they both display natural leadership qualities and epitomise what our team are about. Luke is the next generation of leaders coming through the ranks while Dwayne represents the proud history of the province and is our most experienced player. He displays each day a calmness about him that is shown on and off the field.  

We believe that the two players have the respect of the entire squad and their leadership qualities will complement each other.”

Sweeney, 34, is the most experience player in the squad; he first made his debut for Waikato in 2002 and played for eight seasons amassing a total of 78 caps and 100 points before moving to Japan. He returned last season to captain the side during the 2017 campaign.

Jacobson, 21, is born and breed in the Waikato and is a young player on the raise. After captaining both the University of Waikato: Waikato Under 19s and the New Zealand Under 20s side to tournament victories, he was swiftly signed by both Waikato and the Chiefs. Jacobson made his debut for Waikato against Taranaki last season and quickly became a regular starter featuring in all ten games during their 2017 campaign.

Both Jacobson and Sweeney were born and breed in the Waikato and have a lot of pride in the colours, the jersey and the province.

Article added: Friday 17 August 2018