Peter O'Mahony steps down as Munster captain

Peter O'Mahony's decade-long tenure as Munster captain has come to an end, with the flanker opting to relinquish the role.

O’Mahony became the province's captain on a permanent basis ahead of the 2013/14 season, following the departure of Doug Howlett.

Head coach Graham Rowntree will select a new squad captain in due course.

O’Mahony said of his decision: "Captaining Munster has been a dream come true for me.

"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 [O'Connell], 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."

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 need your consent to load this YouTube content We use YouTube to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.