Johannesburg – Former Springbok loose forward Luke Watson has been named as the new captain of Bath rugby club.

The former captain of the Stormers and Western Province takes over the reins from another ex-Bok, scrumhalf Michael Claassens.

Watson has made a big impact on and off the field since joining the English Premiership club.

In fact, he scored a try in his very first game when he was used as a substitute.

Before accepting the captaincy, Watson sought assurances that it carried the approval of Bath’s senior players and also Claassens.

“Michael led the team through some tough times and established a really good foundation,” Watson told rugby365.com.

“It’s a big honour and privilege, but at the same time a major responsibility to take over the captaincy. I spoke to Steve (Meehan, head coach) and Michael for a long time before we announced the decision because I wanted to make sure that everyone was happy. The interests of the team comes before that of individuals.”

Meehan confirmed this and said that Bath’s players appreciated their opinions being taken on board first.

“When you pick a captain, you have to consider a number of factors. As far as I’m concerned, Luke got a tick behind his name in every area.  When you are new at a club you have to train hard and play even harder to earn the respect of your team-mates. I believe Luke succeeded in that,” he said.

Watson will have the luxury of being surrounded by senior players such as Claassens, Danny Grewcock and David Flatman.