WATCH: Am reflects on winning the Rugby World Cup and taking over the Sharks captaincy
Springbok centre Lukhanyo Am reflects on his journey from Border to the Boks, winning the Rugby World Cup and becoming the new captain of the Sharks.
A lot has happened in the space of six months for 26-year-old Lukhanyo Am. Despite the fact that he’s only played 15 Tests for the Springboks, he’s established himself as one of the best centres in World Rugby, joined an esteemed list of players to have won the Rugby World Cup and is now the captain of his Super Rugby franchise.
While there is no denying that Am deserves every bit of success that has come his way, the centre has walked a long road to get to where he is today.
Born and raised in the Eastern Cape, Am played age group rugby for Border before making a move up to the Valke as a young professional rugby player. He’d hoped the move would result in him being scouted by either the Lions or the Bulls in Johannesburg but things didn’t play out that way.
Am returned to Border and his career took a turn he’d been hoping for. The Sharks signed the centre up but almost immediately sent him on loan to the Southern Kings ahead of the 2016 Super Rugby season.
The move proved to be a fortuitous one, as Am impressed for the Kings during their campaign. When Super Rugby came to an end, the Sharks recalled Am and the rest is history.
He quickly established himself as a regular in the Sharks midfield and went on to make his Springbok debut in 2017. Over the next two years, Am continued to impress in Super Rugby and fought hard for a regular spot in the Springboks’ starting lineup.
In 2019 Am secured his spot in the Green and Gold number 13 jersey. He became an integral part of the Springboks’ Rugby World Cup campaign and setup the team’s first ever try in the final of the competition.