Jamie Ritchie stripped of captaincy, Gregor Townsend explains why - Ruck

Jamie Ritchie stripped of captaincy, Gregor Townsend explains why

In an exciting twist for Scotland’s upcoming Six Nations campaign, Finn Russell and Rory Darge are set to share the captaincy duties.

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The dynamic duo will co-captain the team, taking on the leadership role previously held by Jamie Ritchie in both last year’s championship and the recent World Cup under the guidance of coach Gregor Townsend.

“Appointing co-captains for this year’s Guinness Six Nations allows us to further grow and develop the leadership within the squad,” said Townsend.

“Rory and Finn captained Scotland last summer and bring different strengths and styles of leadership to the table. Both are highly respected within our squad and have been part of our leadership group for some time. I’m sure they will thrive with this responsibility and lean on our other leaders to drive certain aspects of our preparation, mindset and performance.”

He was quick to praise Ritchie, but alluded to the need for him to get back to his best form.

“Jamie has done an excellent job as our captain since October 2022 and he will continue to be one of the key leaders in our group.

“He now has the opportunity to focus more on his game and deliver his best rugby over the next few weeks.”

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