Michael Leitch Embraces Change to Drive Team Growth

“On the first day, I felt, ‘This really might not work,’ but as I went through each session, I improved. I now definitely believe I can do it. If I can play as a lock, it will broaden my playing options, and I should be able to stay at the top level for another five years or so.” 

In the 2015 Rugby World Cup, his comrades who helped defeat the South African team—Ayumu Goromaru (38), Fumiaki Tanaka (39), and Shota Horie (38)—have already retired from professional rugby. However, Leitch remains at the forefront. The promise he made with Horie to “go to India together” seems like it will be a long way off, as his daughter, who is in fifth grade, is inspired by the long careers of tennis players she admires.

“Roger Federer played until he was 41, and Novak Djokovic is still active at 37. Their careers serve as a great example for me.

The current situation of being away from home for extended periods due to tours and training camps. He expresses his gratitude, saying, “I wouldn’t have made it this far without my family’s understanding.” For his children, he stated his desire to “provide them with a good education.” He arranged for daily private tutoring for his daughter to support her desire to take a middle school entrance exam.

“Since I’m often not at home. I try to make up for it in every way I can.”

 

Even as his colleagues get younger, the role expected of Leitch remains the same.

From the August 16, 2024, issue of ‘FRIDAY’.