Al Kellock has carried the burden for the past six campaigns and Townsend has told the 30-year-old lock to carry on the good work for another year. Kellock has already led Glasgow into a record 70 league matches, and, even in adversity, his leadership skills have shone through.

Confirming that it had been a "very easy decision" to make, Townsend described Kellock as a "terrific leader who embodies everything the club stands for". He said: "Al enjoys massive respect from everyone in the game: his team-mates, opposition players, coaches and supporters. He is rightly seen as Mr Glasgow Warriors, bringing a fantastic mix of inspirational and technical qualities to the table.

"He's a captain and a player that the whole squad look up to and from whom they take their lead. He knows the club and the competitions in which we play inside out, and is more hungry than ever to drive the team forward to success."

Born and raised in Bishopbriggs, Kellock struggled to establish himself during his sojourn at Edinburgh, his first professional club, but has blossomed since coming back home in 2006. Widely recognised as an outstanding leader by team-mates and opponents alike, he was named captain of the RaboDirect PRO12 dream team two seasons ago.

In truth, there was never much likelihood of anyone else being given the role but, with players of the calibre of John Barclay and Chris Cusiter also available, Townsend is not short of recognised leaders in his squad.

"We're fortunate to have a good number of players who provide leadership on and off the park, and that reflects very well on the example Al has set over the years," said the coach. "The other coaches and I are thoroughly looking forward to working with Al as our captain as we seek to build on a positive season last year and achieve something."

For his part, Kellock described it as a "massive honour" to skipper the side again. "Pulling on a Glasgow Warriors jersey is a great privilege and responsibility," said Kellock, who also led Scotland into last year's World Cup. "That's even more the case when you're captain of the group.

"There's a terrific buzz around the squad as we head into the new campaign. Gregor has made clear to the team his vision and ambition, and we're all excited about putting into practice everything we've worked on and talked about in the close season."