Sam Warburton will lead Wales at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand after Warren Gatland named the Cardiff Blues flanker as captain for rugby’s showpiece tournament.
Warburton, who captained Wales at Under 19 and 20 level, will lead the 30-man squad which features one uncapped player, Scarlets hooker Ken Owens. He is joined in the squad by six further team-mates from the Llanelli-based region, all of who play in the backline.
The Blues and the Dragons have six and five players respectively in the squad, while there are seven players named from the Ospreys.
Fly-half Stephen Jones is heading to his fourth World Cup where he will hope to become Wales’ all-time leading appearance record holder.
Warburton said: “I am delighted. To be a World Cup captain is one of the biggest achievements a rugby player could achieve. It’s my first World Cup, so it will be new to me. It is going to be a positive camp to be around. We are in a good place at the moment.”
Wales begin their World Cup campaign against South Africa in Wellington on September 11, followed by other pool stage matches with Samoa, Namibia and Fiji.
Wales’ 30-man squad for the Rugby World Cup
Backs A Brew (Newport Gwent Dragons), L Byrne (Clermont Auvergne), J Davies (Scarlets), L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), J Hook (Perpignan), S Jones (Scarlets), T Knoyle (Scarlets), G North (Scarlets), M Phillips (Bayonne), R Priestland (Scarlets), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), L Williams (Cardiff Blues), Scott Williams (Scarlets), Shane Williams (Ospreys)
Forwards H Bennett (Ospreys), R Bevington (Ospreys), L Burns (Newport Gwent Dragons), L Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), B Davies (Cardiff Blues), T Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons), P James (Ospreys), G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), A Jones (Ospreys), A-W Jones (Ospreys), R Jones (Ospreys), D Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons), C Mitchell (Exeter), K Owens (Scarlets), A Powell (Sale Sharks), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues, capt)