Dave Seymour will captain Sale this term © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: David Seymour

Tournaments/Tours: Aviva Premiership

Teams: England | Sale Sharks

Sale Sharks director of rugby Bryan Redpath has turned to flanker David Seymour as his skipper for next season.

Sam Tuitupou led the team last term but he will now take up the role of vice-captain. When the former All Blacks centre was unavailable for selection at the start of last season, Seymour stepped into the void and for Redpath, the flanker was the standout contender for the honour.

"From watching Sale last year I could see even before getting here you could see how committed David is," Redpath said. "He's also a very smart rugby player and as flanker he's around some very key people in the game.

"Playing at seven he's always going to be around the contact area, he's always going to be around that first breakdown. We need someone in there who is going to be close to the referees and be able to give some feedback. He leads by example in most things he does and he's a great role model for both the other senior professionals and all of the younger guys at the club.

"Sammy will be vice captain and he he's more the type of guy who leads by example. He's such a tough competitor and he's another person who is truly committed to the cause.

"We've got a lot of leaders such as Mark Cueto, Nick Macleod, Danny Cipriani, Dwayne Peel and what you need is some who leads by example and some who leads by thought, and we've got that in abundance. Dave gives us knowledge and input around the referee and Sammy gives us the impetus in terms of going forward. With them both we have a great balance in terms of people who can lead the club forward."

Seymour follows in the footsteps of Tuitupou, James Gaskell , Dean Schofield and Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe in taking on the armband and he claimed it was a "great honour" to be awarded the captaincy.

"It probably helps that I filled in as captain at the start of last season when Sammy was unavailable for the first few weeks," Seymour said. "It was the first time I'd really captained a side and it was a great experience and I was very lucky to have great help from the likes of Mark Cueto, Nick Macleod and Dwayne Peel.

"It helps massively having guys of that calibre around me. To be selected for the role when there are such guys in the mix is a huge thing for me personally. The strength of experience and personality we have in the squad means that I think will have a lot of leaders out there and I'd be stupid not to take on board their views and experience."