Ireland flanker Peter O'Mahony steps down as Munster captain

Ireland flanker Peter O'Mahony has announced his decision to step down as captain of Munster after leading them over 10 years.

The 34-year-old has been with the province since his professional rugby debut in 2010 and first went on to captain them in September 2011 at the age of 21 years.

He became the permanent captain of Munster ahead of the 2013/14 season when he replaced Doug Howlett and guided them to a United Rugby Championship title last season

O'Mahony, who has 101 Test caps to his name was part of the Ireland squad that were eliminated in the quarter-finals in the recently concluded Rugby World Cup campaign in France.

“Captaining Munster has been a dream come true for me," he told the club's official website.

“I grew up watching and idolising the Munster team and in particular the people who were leading the team.

“People like Mick Galwey, Jim Williams then on to the likes of ROG and Paul, who I had the privilege of playing with at the start of my career.

“I can remember the day I was asked to be captain like it was yesterday and discussing it with Paul to get his approval.

“From that day to this it’s been an utter privilege and has never been something I’ve taken for granted.

“However, having given a huge amount of thought to it, I think it is the right time to step back from the role to share my experiences and give the same guidance that I received when I took on the role.

“What an unbelievable honour it has been…and will always continue to be.”

Munster are positioned sixth in the United Rugby Championship table with three wins from five matches.