Warburton named as Lions rugby captain for summer tour

The 2013 British and Irish Lions head coach has named Sam Warburton as captain to tour Australia this summer.

Warburton is 24-years-old, he plays for the Cardiff Blues and the national Welsh team.

The rest of the squad were also picked and includes 15 Welshmen, 10 players from England, nine from Ireland and three Scots.

The Lions tour only once every four years and is one of the highlights of the sporting summer.

The tour starts in June in Hong Kong before the team head to Australia to face the Wallabies.

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Warburton said he had known he would be captain for more than a week but was not allowed to tell anyone he had been chosen until it was announced. He said:

"It's been the hardest secret I've ever had to keep, but I kept it in."

"It's unbelievable, it's an accolade which very few people can achieve. To be able to do this is an honour."

Lions squad for 2013 tour

Backs: Leigh Halfpenny (Wales), Stuart Hogg (Scotland), Rob Kearney (Ireland), Tommy Bowe (Ireland), Alex Cuthbert (Wales), Sean Maitland (Scotland), George North (Wales), Jonathan Davies (Wales), Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland), Jamie Roberts (Wales), Manu Tuilagi (England), Owen Farrell (England), Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), Conor Murray (Ireland), Mike Phillips (Wales), Ben Youngs (England).

Forwards: Dan Cole (England), Cian Healy (Ireland), Gethin Jenkins (Wales), Adam Jones (Wales), Matt Stevens (England), Mako Vunipola (England), Dylan Hartley (England), Richard Hibbard (Wales), Tom Youngs (England), Ian Evans (Wales), Richie Gray (Scotland), Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales), Paul O'Connell (Ireland), Geoff Parling (England), Tom Croft (England), Toby Faletau (Wales), Jamie Heaslip (Ireland), Dan Lydiate (Wales), Sean O'Brien (Ireland), Justin Tipuric (Wales), Sam Warburton (Wales).