Brad Barritt to lead Saracens in upcoming season

England international Brad Barritt has been named as the captain of the English Premiership club Saracens for the upcoming season.

The 29-year-old will replace Alistair Hargreaves, who was sidelined with injury for the majority of the previous season. In the absence of Hargreaves, it was Barritt, who led the team to the double triumph of European Champions Cup victory and the Aviva Premiership triumph in the 2015/16 season.

Having made 171 appearances for the club in the last eight years, Barritt has been a prominent member of the team. He has also represented England 26 times with his last appearance for the country coming during the 2015 World Cup encounter against the Wallabies at Twickenham.

Director of rugby at Saracens, Mark McCall believes the decision was a straightforward one and lauded the leadership abilities of Barritt.

"Throughout Brad's time at the club, he has shown exceptional leadership qualities and he is ideally qualified to be our captain," McCall said.

"Brad is someone who leads through example - through his actions, attitude and application.

"He is one of the most competitive players I have ever come across, showing complete commitment to the game, and is a role model professional. He is a natural leader."