Ethan Hooker’s transition from inside centre to wing for the Sharks has been an unexpected revelation, but his high school coach, who played him at No 8, is not at all surprised.

Hooker has impressed for the Sharks in the 2024 Currie Cup and the early rounds of the 2024-25 Vodacom URC. Recently, the 21-year-old has been redeployed from centre to left wing by John Plumtree, but shone in the victory over Dragons in Newport.

While the shift caught supporters and opposition off guard, Hooker’s Westville Boys High coach Njabulo Zulu was unsurprised.

Zulu, who coached Hooker throughout his school career, told Sport24 that he expected Hooker to handle the move well, having played multiple positions during his school days, including stints at fullback, flyhalf, and even eighthman.

“When he was in his Grade 11 year, I played him as an eight because we had Mambo Mkhize, who was also an upcoming 12 in the country and was doing good things. I wanted both of them in the team and I moved Ethan to eight,” Zulu told Sport24.

“The reason I moved him to eight was because I thought I could get away with it because of his physicality. We only played one game, against DHS, and Covid hit. The planning was that he would scrum as an eight and would go onto the wider channels; so, he’d still be a centre but scrum as an eight.

“Him saying he doesn’t mind playing wing is because he’s very much a team man. ”

With Plumtree already hinting at moving Hooker back to midfield when the situation allows it, Zulu agrees that remains his long-term position.

“I also see him as a centre; for me he’s got all the qualities of a Springbok centre,” Zulu said. “He’s big, he can carry, but more than anything else, his defence… Since he was young, all he ever did was smash people.

“And he’s a twelve’s 12; he does the things that people don’t want to do. He’ll run into the wall, he’ll carry for the team, he can take contact, go forward in contact and my favourite part about his game is that he loves to defend.”

Full interview

Photo: Christiaan Kotze/Gallo Images

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Src: sarugbymag.co.za