Thursday 21 July 2016 13:20, UK
Saracens have announced the appointment of England international centre Brad Barritt as club captain.
The 29-year-old will take over from lock Alistair Hargreaves on a permanent basis to skipper the reigning English and European champions next season.
Barritt, who has 26 England caps, led Saracens to a domestic and European double last term with Hargreaves sidelined for much of the campaign due to injury.
"Throughout Brad's time at the club, he has shown exceptional leadership qualities and he is ideally qualified to be our captain," Saracens rugby director Mark McCall said.
"Brad is someone who leads through example through his actions, attitude and application.
"He is one of the most competitive players I have ever come across, showing complete commitment to the game, and is a role model professional. He is a natural leader."
Speaking about his appointment as Saracens captain, Barritt said: "To captain Saracens is a huge honour and I am looking forward to the responsibility. Last season was the most successful in the club's history and we are hoping to build on that in the coming years.
"We have a great blend of youth and experience in our group, a fantastic team spirit and a great coaching set-up, so we'll continue to work incredibly hard over this coming season to build upon some very strong foundations."
