Iain Henderson will take over the Ulster captaincy from the retiring Rory Best, it was announced today.
Best is hanging up his boots after the the upcoming World Cup in Japan with Henderson to lead out Ulster from next season.
Henderson, 27, made his Ulster and Ireland debut in 2012 and has racked up 105 appearances for his province.
He said: "I'm incredibly proud and excited to be appointed captain
"I had a good chat with Dan (McFarland) and I think we’re closely aligned in terms of how we see Ulster moving forward.
"When I’ve captained Ulster on previous occasions, it’s been made a lot easier because of the presence of a number of great leaders around me. It really helps when you’ve got people like Al (O’Connor), Rob (Herring) and Marcell (Coetzee) behind you, who understand what you’re doing and provide unbelievable support."
Head coach McFarland said it was a no-brainer to turn to the influential forward after Best's departure.
"As a leader, he has demonstrated his ability to command respect through his professionalism and talismanic play.
"Asking Iain to be captain was not a difficult decision and because he is surrounded by a squad of good men, I know that he will flourish."
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