Treviranus to lead Samoa
Ofisa Treviranus will lead Samoa's World Cup campaign in September and will get a taste of captaincy when they go up against world champions New Zealand in a one-off Test on July 8.
The 31-year-old flank, who plies his trade with London Irish in the Premiership, said he had just been focusing on making the starting lineup for the fixture – the first ever visit to Apia by the All Blacks.
"It's always an honour to represent Samoa, but it is something very special when you are asked to captain your team," Treviranus said in a statement on Monday.
Treviranus, a powerful ball carrier known for his big defensive tackles, previously captained a Samoa side to victory in the Sevens World Series in 2010.
He played for Irish province Connacht before moving to England with the Exiles after the 2011 World Cup.
Samoa coach Stephen Betham said Treviranus was the obvious choice to lead the side, who have twice made the World Cup quarterfinals.
"Ofisa is a strong force in the Manu Samoa environment and he has the respect of the players on and off the field," Betham said.
Reuters