After a challenging start last season, the Sharks, under the leadership of JP Pietersen, showed remarkable improvement moving up from 14th to 10th place in the URC standings.
With the new URC season about to commence at Kings Park against the Ospreys, Hatton expressed his anticipation for the team's future.
"There’s a lot of excitement, certainly. In this pre-season, the big group we’ve had and then guys joining from the Currie Cup, it’s really exciting where we’re going."
Hatton emphasized how preseason challenges have galvanized the team both on and off the field, pushing each player to elevate their game.
The development of a unique team identity is central to their strategy, aiming to instill a distinct 'Sharks DNA' that defines their style of play and team ethos.
"We’re not the Sharks team we want to be yet, but we’re trying to become a Sharks team with a DNA in the way we want to play and the way we want to be as a squad."
Hatton, alongside co-captains Emile van Heerden and Vincent Tshituka, will play a pivotal role in maintaining high standards throughout the 2026-27 season under André Esterhuizen’s captaincy.
With a leadership group reinforced by Vincent Koch and Phepsi Buthelezi as club captains, the new structure aims to distribute responsibilities and foster a robust leadership culture.
Hatton stressed the importance of leadership in driving the club's standards and culture, acknowledging the efforts made during the preseason to unify and strengthen the team.
"It’s a long season and we need a strong leadership group. We’re all trying to just drive the standards of the club and drive the culture. We’ve worked hard as a squad in the pre-season to build our culture and build our cohesion and spend a lot of time together."
Recently affirming his commitment to the Sharks through 2029, Hatton, a Durban native, expressed his passion for the team and his desire to contribute to its success.
"I love the Sharks. I’m a Durban boy. For me, I just want to see the Sharks do as well as possible and I want to be at the Sharks to experience that,” Hatton shared, showing his loyalty and hopes for the team's future achievements.
