Ed Slater has been named Leicester Tigers club captain ahead of the new season.
Slater made his Tigers debut in 2010 after his return from a spell in Australia and is approaching 100 first-team appearances for the club. He acted as skipper during the 2013/14 season and now succeeds Toby Flood as club captain.
Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill said: “In the best traditions of Leicester captains, Ed leads by example, not just on the field but in what he does and says during the week.
“He commands respect within the group, he led the team well as captain during last season and we feel he will continue to develop both as a player and as a leader here.
“We have a strong leadership group within the squad who fulfil an important role alongside the captain. There are experienced professionals in that group but also there is a core of young players who are maturing and developing all the time while playing rugby at the top level. We hope they can all help to drive on the Tigers this season and in the future.”
Slater earned a place in the England squad for the first time last season and captained the touring team against the Crusaders in New Zealand this summer.
He said: “It was a great honour to lead the team during last season and now to become club captain. This is a great club with huge support and a proud history, and I’m very proud to be able to wear the shirt and to lead out the team.
“A massive team effort goes into everything we do at Tigers, and the coaches and the rest of the staff and the squad have been a great help to me as a player and during last season as captain. I look forward to working alongside them again in the new season.”
International second-row Geoff Parling represented the club at Wednesday’s Aviva Premiership Rugby season launch at Twickenham as Slater is rehabbing a knee injury.
Slater made his Tigers debut in 2010 after his return from a spell in Australia and is approaching 100 first-team appearances for the club. He acted as skipper during the 2013/14 season and now succeeds Toby Flood as club captain.
Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill said: “In the best traditions of Leicester captains, Ed leads by example, not just on the field but in what he does and says during the week.
“He commands respect within the group, he led the team well as captain during last season and we feel he will continue to develop both as a player and as a leader here.
“We have a strong leadership group within the squad who fulfil an important role alongside the captain. There are experienced professionals in that group but also there is a core of young players who are maturing and developing all the time while playing rugby at the top level. We hope they can all help to drive on the Tigers this season and in the future.”
Slater earned a place in the England squad for the first time last season and captained the touring team against the Crusaders in New Zealand this summer.
He said: “It was a great honour to lead the team during last season and now to become club captain. This is a great club with huge support and a proud history, and I’m very proud to be able to wear the shirt and to lead out the team.
“A massive team effort goes into everything we do at Tigers, and the coaches and the rest of the staff and the squad have been a great help to me as a player and during last season as captain. I look forward to working alongside them again in the new season.”
International second-row Geoff Parling represented the club at Wednesday’s Aviva Premiership Rugby season launch at Twickenham as Slater is rehabbing a knee injury.
