Monday 30 May 2016 17:20, UK
South Africa have named Adriaan Strauss as captain or the three-Test home series against Ireland in June.
The hooker succeeds veteran centre Jean de Villiers, who retired from Test rugby after suffering injury during the World Cup last year.
Northern Bulls skipper Strauss, who made his Test debut against Australia in 2008 and has been capped 54 times, will lead a new-look side short of nearly half of the players who played at the World Cup due to retirements, age or locals being preferred to those playing abroad.
New head coach Allister Coetzee named nine uncapped player in his 30-man squad on Saturday.
"Adriaan has always fulfilled a leadership role, wherever he played, since coming through the junior national structures," said Coetzee.
"He has shared the vice-captaincy role with Bismarck du Plessis for the Springboks and is also a former Cheetahs skipper and current Bulls captain. I have been impressed in my interactions with him and I have the utmost faith in him."
Strauss looks to have claimed the regular hooker's berth from Du Plessis, the player he has shared the No 2 jersey with since the retirement of former captain John Smit in 2011.
"I am very grateful to the coach for entrusting me with this enormous responsibility," Strauss said. "I am incredibly humbled by this huge honour and also excited about the role," he said.
South Africa play Ireland on June 11 in Cape Town, June 18 in Johannesburg and June 25 in Port Elizabeth.
