Lake named Gloucester captain for new season

Gloucester have named new signing Dewi Lake as their club captain for the 2026-27 season.

Wales skipper Lake joined the Cherry and Whites this season and will take on the armband following the departure of former captain Tomos Williams to Saracens this summer.

The 27-year-old hooker has won 34 caps for Wales and has also captained his country 22 times, including for this summer's internationals.

England centre Seb Atkinson and Wales flanker Jac Morgan, will act as vice captains.

"To captain a club with a storied history that Gloucester has got, legends have captained this club previously, to be a part of that group is a massive honour for me," Lake told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

Lake said the decision was made on Friday after he received a text message from head coach George Skivington to meet for lunch - although he interpreted its meaning as something completely different.

"I thought it was probably a text about not playing this weekend – just joining the club, boys have gone really well through the first two Prem Cup games through pre-season, we returning internationals missed a good chunk of training and thought maybe [I] wasn't ready to go week one," he said.

"It came as a pretty good shock."

Forward Lake joins fellow Wales captain Jac Morgan in moving to Gloucester ahead of the new campaign, marking their first appearances playing in the Prem.

Former Gloucester captain Lewis Ludlow - who held the role for five years as the club's longest-serving skipper - spoke last month about losing the armband to Williams last summer, describing it as "brutal" and that he would take it back if offered.

Head coach George Skivington said that the decision was taken to wait until the team had spent a few weeks together before naming Williams' replacement.

Opinion was sought from other coaches as well as players, who were canvassed on who they wanted to represent them as a leadership group.

Skivington said Lake stood out as a "clear leader".

"Dewi's a great player firstly but he's also just a really strong character," Skivington said.

"It's quiet clear he's a leader – if you spend a bit of time around him that's been said numerous times by staff and players.

"He's a straight guy, he's not going to mess around with his words, you're going to know what he's asking of you and what he expects.

"He's come into the building, he's trained really hard, he's spoken when the timing's right and he's just one of those guys you're going to follow."