PETER O’MAHONY has announced that he will step down as Munster’s squad captain after 10 years in the role.
O’Mahony explained in a statement this evening that “this is right time to step back from the role.” He first captained his province in a competitive fixture at the age of 21 in what was his 12th appearance for the club. He subsequently took over as the Munster leader on a permanent basis ahead of the 2013/14 season following the departure of Doug Howlett.
Last season, O’Mahony guided Munster to URC glory after a thrilling win over the Stormers.
“Captaining Munster has been a dream come true for me,” O’Mahony told the Munster website.
“I grew up watching and idolising the Munster team and in particular the people who were leading the team.
“People like Mick Galwey, Jim Williams then on to the likes of ROG and Paul, who I had the privilege of playing with at the start of my career.
“I can remember the day I was asked to be captain like it was yesterday and discussing it with Paul to get his approval. From that day to this it’s been an utter privilege and has never been something I’ve taken for granted.
“However, having given a huge amount of thought to it, I think it is the right time to step back from the role to share my experiences and give the same guidance that I received when I took on the role.”
“What an unbelievable honour it has been…and will always continue to be.”
Paying tribute to O’Mahony’s service as a leader for Munster, head coach Graham Rowntree said:
“You couldn’t pick a better leader than Pete and he has been a fantastic captain for this club.
“To lead Munster from such a young age and for so many years speaks volumes of his ability as a player on the pitch and a person off it.
“He commands huge respect and will still be a massive leader within the group. To have someone of Pete’s experience on hand to help us with the succession process is invaluable.
“We have a strong leadership group within the squad and will confirm a new squad captain in due course.”
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