Select Edition

Select Edition

Northern
Southern
Global
NZ
France

TJ Perenara and Dane Coles team up to lead the Hurricanes

By Online Editors
TJ Perenara and Dane Coles will co-captain the Hurricanes in 2020. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

The Hurricanes have joined the latest trend by naming two co-captains for the 2020 season.

Dane Coles and TJ Perenara will partner up to lead the one-time champions for their first Super Rugby season in ten years without first five Beauden Barrett on the roster.

Coles has been the Hurricanes' official captain since taking over from Conrad Smith in 2016.

Continue reading below...

Coles' menagerie of injuries over the last four years has required a number of game-day captains to step up to the mark - including Perenara, who has already led the Hurricanes out a handful of times.

Co-captains have become considerably more prevalent in recent years, with the Chiefs and the Highlanders opting to name two captains over the last few seasons. Both franchises will return to having just one leader for 2020, however, with Sam Cane and James Lentjes taking the reins, respectively.

With Barrett transferring to the Blues and loose forward Ardie Savea unavailable for at least the early stages of the season, the Hurricanes will be relying on the experience of their new co-captains, who have 237 caps for the Hurricanes between them.

The Hurricanes will also be operating under a new head coach for 2020, with John Plumtree moving into a role with the All Blacks. Former assistant Jason Holland has now taken over.

Former Hurricane Julian Savea could be on the way out at Toulon, if rumours out of France are anything to go by: