Caelan Doris, a 26-year-old player from Ballina, has been named the captain of Leinster for the 2024-25 season. He takes over from international colleagues Garry Ringrose and James Ryan, who will proceed as vice-captains.
Having captained Ireland in a resounding 36-0 victory over Italy in Dublin during this year’s Six Nations for the first time, Doris was once more entrusted with the leadership in July against global champions South Africa in Durban. This 25-24 triumph concluded the summer series with a balanced 1-1 draw.
In his statement, Doris stated that it was an enormous privilege to lead the group, praising the invaluable advice and input from the quality players and staff surrounding him. Reflecting on his previous opportunities to captain Leinster, Doris voiced his anticipation for doing the same this year. He further hinted at the great ambition within the group as they await the beginning of the new season.
Doris’s journey with Leinster began in April 2018 in a match against Connacht. Since then, he has played on the squad’s behalf on 83 occasions and has gathered 43 caps for Ireland.
The head coach of Leinster, Leo Cullen, recognised Doris’s excellent performance in the past 12 months, starting from the previous Rugby World Cup to the summer victory over South Africa in Durban. He endorsed Doris as an exemplary leader and the ideal candidate to lead the team into a potentially thrilling season. Cullen also acknowledged James Ryan and Garry Ringrose’s contributions as co-captains the prior season.