Speaking about the appointment, London Irish Head Coach, Toby Booth said: "I am very pleased to announce that Clarke will be captaining the side this season. He is hugely respected within the squad and always leads by example out on the pitch.

"He is a natural captain with a wealth of leadership experience at Provincial and Super 14 level in New Zealand.

"I would like to thank Bob for his fine captaincy in the past three seasons and stress the important role that players of his experience have on the continued development of our squad.

"The physical nature of Premiership rugby encourages the need for leaders all over the pitch and teams can no longer rely on one leader. Clarke will be our figurehead but the contribution of Bob and our other senior players will be paramount to our success on the pitch."

New Captain Dermody added: "I am thrilled to have been asked to be the club Captain for this season and am looking forward to the new challenge of leading London Irish.
"I have experienced captaincy playing in New Zealand and it is something I enjoy doing. We have a very talented squad again this season and I am confident that we will be able to fulfill our potential."