Tadhg Beirne confirmed as new Munster captain

Beirne is Munster’s ninth permanent captain of the professional era

Tue, 17 Sep, 2024 - 13:32

Simon Lewis

Tadhg Beirne has been confirmed as Munster’s club captain for the new season, with head coach Graham Rowntree making his decision on the province’s first new skipper in a decade.

Beirne, 32, succeeds Peter O’Mahony, who led Munster for 10 years and lifted the URC trophy in May, 2023 before stepping down following Ireland’s World Cup campaign last autumn.

Like O’Mahony, who turned 35 on Tuesday and is starting his last season at Munster, Beirne has been an Ireland regular for several seasons, since joining the Reds from Scarlets in 2018, and will be heavily involved in the autumn and Six Nations Test windows. Yet the lock/flanker is viewed as the ideal choice and he captained Munster several times last season after O’Mahony stepped down.

“Tadhg is a world-class player who always leads by example. He is the right man to lead Munster into the new season,” Rowntree said on Tuesday.

“A player of his calibre commands respect and he has grown into a key leader for us since coming here in 2018. As a 52-cap Ireland international and British & Irish Lion, he demands the best out of everyone and drives standards within the group.

“He is an extremely calm presence on and off the field and it was very impressive to see how he was able to perform at his usual high level while captaining the squad in a number of big games last season.”

Beirne is Munster’s ninth permanent captain of the professional era, and follows Pat Murray, Mick Galwey, Jim Williams, Anthony Foley, Paul O’Connell, Doug Howlett and O’Mahony into the role.

“It’s a huge honour to be named as captain of Munster Rugby and to lead a great group of players into the new season,” he said.

“I have had a fantastic six years here and it’s an incredibly proud moment for me and my family. Very few people have had the opportunity to captain Munster Rugby and it’s a massive honour to follow in the footsteps of some incredible players and leaders.

“I had the privilege of leading the team a number of times in the past and the job was always made easier by the amount of leaders we have in the squad. We have a very tight-knit group and it means a lot to me to lead the squad as captain for the season ahead.”

Hooker Diarmuid Barron was another to whom Rowntree turned as a stand-in skipper before his season was disrupted by a long-term foot injury that required surgery in late December and will no doubt assume the captaincy in Beirne’s absence.

Ireland’s summer tourists who played a significant part in the drawn Test series against the Springboks in South Africa are unavailable to their provinces until URC round three on October 5 at the earliest, meaning Beirne’s first opportunity to lead Munster will have to wait until that day’s home game against Ospreys in Cork.