Magne retires from Montferrand captaincy

France flanker Olivier Magne, one of the icons of French rugby, has decided to retire from the captaincy of the Montferrand Vulcans in the wake of their continuing disappointing performances this season in the hope that it will shock the club to life.

The powerful, wealthy, well-supported Clermont-Ferrand club has had a poor season.

In the French Championship the club is fourth in its pool behind Biarritz, Stade Français and Bourgoin and a Heineken Cup challenge is a thing of the past. It cannot make the quarter-finals and suffered the indignity of a second home defeat when it lost to Bristol Shoguns last weekend.

Magne asked the team's manager Christophe Mombet and the coaches to let him go. They let the great flank relinquish the burden of responsibility.

"My decision is irrevocable," Magne told Le Parisienne.

"It is now up to the players to react as men. I want to give them a shock."