James Ryan
A regular stand-in as Ireland captain when Johnny Sexton wasn’t on the pitch, Leinster second row Ryan will be among the heavy favourites to take over full-time.
Still only 27, Ryan has built up huge experience since his Test debut in 2017. Now capped 59 times, he has been a virtual ever-present in the starting XV under Andy Farrell, although he was dropped to the bench for the final World Cup pool game against Scotland.
Having captained many underage teams, including the Ireland U20s, Ryan was named senior Ireland captain for the first time in 2020 against England when he was still just 24. In total, Ryan has led Ireland as the starting captain eight times, with the most recent outing coming against England in the World Cup warm-ups.
There have been several other instances where Ryan has assumed the captaincy during games when Sexton has been replaced, while he’s a key part of the leadership group, and leads the Ireland lineout when he’s starting. Ryan also has experience of captaincy with Leinster.
Before Sexton was given the captaincy by Farrell back in 2020, there was some debate about whether Ryan should take it on at that stage. With so much experience under his belt now, it might be his time to step up permanently. His current IRFU contract runs until the summer of 2025.
Peter O’Mahony
Having turned 34 last month, O’Mahony might not be a long-term choice for the role, although Sexton managed to play on at the highest level until 38.
The longstanding Munster skipper finally led his beloved province to a trophy last season as they won the URC.
O’Mahony first led his country as the starting captain in 2013 when he was still only 23 and has stepped into the role several times since, including in all three Tests in the series win over Australia on the 2018 tour.
He has captained Ireland in Six Nations games, World Cup warm-up games, and led them in their November Test win over Australia last autumn in Dublin. O’Mahony has also taken over as skipper during games and has often been tasked with addressing referees even when Sexton has been on the pitch.
As Ireland look to defend their Grand Slam title this coming spring, O’Mahony’s experience and leadership could be important. His IRFU deal expires next summer.
Iain Henderson
The Ulster lock has been captaining his province since 2019 and first led Ireland from the start of a game in the 2021 Six Nations against France when Sexton, Ryan, and O’Mahony were absent.
Henderson reprised the captaincy role in the two World Cup warm-up games against Italy and Samoa in August, with the Ireland coaches praising his calm, positive leadership within the group.
Henderson has been the third lock behind Ryan and Tadhg Beirne often in recent seasons but he came into strong form in recent months and nudged ahead of Ryan for the final pool game against Scotland, retaining his place for the quarter-final versus New Zealand as Ryan missed out through injury.
Henderson is still only 31 and having finally enjoyed an injury-free run over the last few months, he will feel he still has lots of excellent rugby ahead of him. He is contracted to the IRFU until the end of the 2024/25 season.
Garry Ringrose
The 28-year-old outside centre has come into his own as a leader in the last three years.
He first captained Leinster in the 2020 Pro14 final when Johnny Sexton was named on the bench, with Ringrose selected as skipper even though second row Ryan was also in the team.
Leinster and Ireland both value Ringrose’s composure and game understanding, while he is also a level-headed character who has brought increased aggression to his game in the past few seasons.
Ringrose has yet to captain Ireland but he will clearly be a key man for many seasons to come. His current contract with the IRFU expires in 2025.
Caelan Doris
The Mayo man captained the Ireland U20s back in 2018 and though he hasn’t had that role in senior rugby yet, he is clearly a big leader by example.
Still only 25, Doris has developed into one of the game’s leading back rows in recent years. Last weekend, the All Blacks put a huge focus on limiting his impact on the World Cup quarter-final in what was the latest sign that he is seen as a key threat for Ireland.
Doris is a mature character for his age. His coaches see him as a self-aware and influential figure in the Ireland squad and he was added to their leadership group last season along with fullback Hugo Keenan.
While Doris hasn’t been Leinster captain yet, he will clearly be a crucial man for Ireland for many seasons.
Doris’ most recent publicly-announced contract was a new Leinster deal in 2022 but given his importance to Ireland, it would be a shock if a central IRFU contract isn’t confirmed sooner rather than later.
Tadhg Beirne
A pivotal figure for Ireland in the Farrell era, the second row has yet to captain his country from the off but has grown as a leader with more exposure to Test rugby.
He doesn’t have much history as a skipper, yet he was impressive in the role when it was sprung on him by Munster at late notice when O’Mahony was injured before a URC game against Ulster in 2022.
A clever player who certainly delivers the kind of work rate and big moments that the best captains bring, Beirne would clearly be a leftfield choice as Ireland skipper. His IRFU deal runs through until the summer of 2025.
Tadhg Furlong
The fourth member of Ireland’s World Cup squad who has actually been named captain from the start of a game, Furlong is another man who hasn’t always been seen as a leader.
When Farrell took over in 2020, he surprised the Wexford man by including him in Ireland’s leadership group. It took Furlong time to get used to it but he has enjoyed pushing himself in a new way, thinking about the game from a much wider perspective.
Furlong captained Ireland for the first time in last year’s November Test against Fiji and has yet to take on the role again. It’s rare for props to be the captain given how they’re often the first players to be replaced. Furlong’s current IRFU contract runs until the summer of 2025.