Legends of the game have worn the famous red jersey but only the bravest and boldest of souls have been bestowed the honour of British & Irish Lions captaincy.
Only 45 players in history have skippered the Lions in the Test arena and that very exclusive list could recruit a new member next year when head coach Andy Farrell names his first captain.
All four nations have been represented in the last 10 Lions Test captains, with a whopping 954 international caps between the group proving that experience is everything when it comes to leading the pack.
Drive, determination and an innate knowledge of the game are just some of the traits which make a Lions captain and Scotland’s Finlay Calder held those in abundance.
Last 10 Lions Test captains:
🏴 Finlay Calder [1989]
🏴 Gavin Hastings [1993]
🏴 Martin Johnson [1997 & 2001]
🏴 Michael Owen [2005]
☘️ Brian O’Driscoll [2005]
🏴 Gareth Thomas [2005]
☘️ Paul O’Connell [2009]
🏴 Sam Warburton [2013 / 2017]
☘️ Peter O’Mahony [2017]
🏴 Alun Wyn…— British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) August 22, 2024
Calder’s Lions were history men, becoming the first to win a series after losing the opening Test.
He was the first Scottish captain in more than two decades for the 1989 Tour of Australia but Sir Ian McGeechan’s pick was justified, with Calder later heralded as ‘the best Lions captain’ by centre Scott Hastings.
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Calder is indelibly linked to the Battle of Ballymore, one of the most bruising encounters in rugby history, as the Lions rattled their hosts physically and mentally to turn the series on its head.
Calder was followed by Gavin Hastings, the last Scottish Test captain of the Lions, who remains the pride’s all-time top points scorer.
After scoring the crucial try in the second Test in 1989, Hastings was appointed as skipper for the 1993 Tour to New Zealand and nearly presided over one of the Lions’ greatest ever triumphs.
Hastings’ side were cruelly denied 20-18 by the All Blacks in the first Test and after levelling the series brilliantly 20-7 in the second, came up short in the decider – Hastings’ sixth consecutive Lions Test.
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Martin Johnson was a replacement for Wade Dooley on that Tour but soon became an integral figure and that is sure to have played a significant factor in his selection as captain for the iconic 1997 Tour of South Africa.
He led the Lions to a 2-1 Test series victory over the Springboks and was just the second man, after Willie John McBride in 1974, to accomplish that feat in the 20th century, while also becoming the first man to captain the side twice, cementing his legendary status.
With Johnson having retired, the Lions were in need of a new captain in 2005 and Michael Owen was the first of three men to carry the responsibility.
Back row Owen, who became the 1,000th player capped by Wales in 2002, captained his country to a Grand Slam in the spring and then led the Lions on debut against Argentina on home soil a few months later.
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The match against the Pumas was the first Lions Test to take place outside the touring country, with Jonny Wilkinson’s late penalty rescuing a 25-25 draw.
Brian O’Driscoll was named as captain for the Tour of New Zealand but his playing contribution was curtailed by a shoulder injury sustained in the opening minutes of the first Test.
That didn’t stop O’Driscoll from becoming a Lions legend, however, with his world-class try in the 2001 Tour against Australia marking the start of rollercoaster journey in the famous red which culminated with the series win against the Wallabies in 2013.
In the Irishman’s absence, Gareth Thomas took the reins for the second and third Tests and scored early to give Clive Woodward’s side hope in Wellington but was helpless as the All Blacks ran out series winners.
An ever-present for the 2005 Tour, Paul O’Connell was given the top job for 2009 and followed in McBride’s footsteps as an Irish forward to lead the Lions against the Springboks.
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In many ways the proverbial gentle giant off the field, O’Connell’s emotive pre-match call-to-arms are stuff of legend and he so nearly inspired a series victory, with Wales’ Martyn Williams hailing him as the best captain he had ever worked under.
Similar platitudes were levelled at Sam Warburton across two unforgettable Tours, as he led the Lions to a 2-1 series win over Australia in 2013 and the drawn series against New Zealand in 2017.
He followed Johnson in becoming only the second man to captain the Lions twice but went one better than the England lock, as the only captain to have avoided defeat on two Tours.
Alun Wyn Jones stood in for Warburton during the decisive final Test in 2013 while Peter O’Mahony deputised for the opener four years later, both leading the Lions with great distinction and rubber-stamping their status as greats of the international game.
But it was Wales second row Jones who was handed the armband for 2021, a full 12 years on from his first titanic battle with the Springboks in Lions red.
READ MORE: Alun Wyn Jones – The heart of a Lion
He almost missed his fourth consecutive Tour entirely after dislocating his shoulder during The Vodafone Lions 1888 Cup match against Japan in Edinburgh and Conor Murray was named as captain in his place with Jones seemingly ruled out.
But Warren Gatland’s trusted lieutenant made an astounding recovery as he returned to the Tour, matching Lions legend Graham Price’s achievement of playing 12 consecutive Tests and demonstrating the heart and resolve typical of the great Lions captains.
