Shaun Lunt has been appointed as the new captain of Hull Kingston Rovers.
The hooker has been named as the club’s seventh captain in as many seasons, following in the footsteps of Australian halfback Tery Campese.
The 29-year-old was the first player to commit himself to the Robins following their relegation to the Championship and has been rewarded with the captaincy by new head coach Tim Sheens.
“I’m over the moon, I really am,” Lunt said.
“It’s a huge honour and when I look back on my career it will definitely be a real highlight of it.
“It means even more as well in the situation we are in at the moment with going down to the Championship. I’m really honoured and touched to be named captain for such an important year for the club.
“Tim had a lot of natural leaders and good blokes in the squad to choose from. He’s come in and he didn’t know any of us but he’s one of the best coaches of our era so to be chosen by somebody like him is fantastic.
“I’m going to be speaking to the senior lads and asking them to support me as well. It’s my first gig as captain and I’ll need that help, but this isn’t going to change me or the sort of player that I am. I must have done something right to get the backing of Tim and the players so I’m just going to keep trying my best and working hard.”
Head coach Tim Sheens said: “I’m delighted to appoint Shaun as our new captain and it’s an honour he thoroughly deserves. He’s an experienced player with the respect of the coaching staff and his teammates and he’ll do a good job in the role.
“I don’t want a captain who shouts and screams and orders people around the field. It will be down to the spine of the team collectively to guide us around the park and it will be those players who make the majority of the decisions throughout a match in terms of how we want to play.
“As our hooker, Shaun will have his own part to play in that alongside the halves and fullback, but first and foremost I want a captain who leads by example, who never cuts a corner at training and who represents the club on and off the field.
“Shaun has those qualities and he’ll be supported by a number of other senior players within our leadership group who also came into consideration for the captaincy. They will all have their part to play this season which is why I won’t be naming an official vice-captain.”
