Stuart Hooper, the new Captain at Bath

Bath Rugby is delighted to today announce that Stuart Hooper will be the new Club captain for the 2011/12 season.

The 6’ 5” lock joined Bath from Leeds Carnegie three years ago, and in that time has become an integral member of the squad, on and off the field.

West Country through and through having been born and raised in Devon, Stuart embodies the character, pride and determination that comes with pulling on the famous Blue, Black and White shirt. He made 26 appearances last season, starting every time. In total, he has played 87 times for Bath since he arrived in 2008, and has won the respect of the whole squad with his clever and effective line out work and outstanding work ethic.

On making the announcement Director of Rugby, Sir Ian McGeechan, said: “Hoops is a natural leader, both on and off the field. He has very strong leadership qualities, which have been and will continue to be a huge asset to the Club. He is a very strong communicator, a hugely dedicated professional and, most importantly, has the total respect of all the players.”

Stuart added: “It was a huge honour to be asked to be captain, and I didn’t hesitate in accepting. I am very excited for the coming season, and with the squad we have here everything is pointing towards a successful future for Bath Rugby. We know that there is a lot of hard work to be done first though, and I am looking forward to getting on with training hard, fighting for my place in a very competitive squad, and leading the boys into the new season.”