A PEMBROKESHIRE rugby player has scored the try of his career after being named Scarlets captain  for the 2023-24 season.

The 26-year-old back-rower, Josh Macleod, who was born in Monte Carlo but raised in Fishguard, was the region’s captain during the second half of last season after Davies was ruled out through injury, leading the Scarlets to the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup.

The former Ysgol Bro Gwaun pupil has played 112 games for the Scarlets since his 2015 debut and his outstanding performances for the Scarlets saw him make his Wales debut in November 2022.

He was named in Wales’ initial Rugby World Cup training squad but was released after being ruled out due to a shoulder injury.

The team will be opening their United Rugby Championship campaign against the Vodacom Bulls in South Africa this weekend, and Macleod is close to returning from his shoulder injury.

Macleod said: “It is a huge honour for me as someone brought up in the region to captain a club with such a proud history and to follow in the footsteps of some great Scarlets like Foxy and Ken, who I have learned a huge amount from during my time here.

“I enjoyed the captaincy last season, particularly during our run in the Challenge Cup which highlighted how much young talent there is within this squad. There were also some standout performances at home in the URC.

“It’s been a long, tough pre-season; the boys have worked hard as always and we’re looking forward to kicking off our campaign in South Africa against the Bulls and Stormers over the next fortnight. For us, the challenge is to build on the foundations we laid last season, both in the URC and Europe.

“From a personal point of view, it has been frustrating missing a chunk of the summer recovering from shoulder surgery, but I’m not far away ad I can’t wait to get out there with the boys again.”

Dwayne Peel, head coach at the Scarlets, said: “Josh is an exceptional player who leads by example, someone who commands respect and has been a big part of this squad for a number of years.

“He displayed his leadership qualities last season, and we were all impressed by how he carried out the role, on and off the field.

“Jon will continue to be a big part of our leadership team here, his experience in the game is invaluable and will be a huge help to Josh, as will our other senior players in the squad.”