Wales looking for new Rugby World Cup captain after Ken Owens out injured

Wales is considering co-captains at the Rugby World Cup after incumbent Ken Owens withdrew injured from the preliminary squad overnight.

Owens became Wales’ oldest captain at 36 in the Six Nations, and was aiming to go to his fourth World Cup in France in September.

But he’s had a recurrence of the back injury which ruled him out of tests for more than a year after the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa. He hasn’t trained at all with Wales since the squad gathered last month.

“He’s gutted but he’s an incredibly positive person,” Gatland said at their Vale Resort base in Hensol. “He wanted to reiterate he has not retired from rugby and he is hoping potentially he could be available maybe later if we pick up injuries in the tournament.

“It is the same injury (as in 2021) but not as severe as before so he may need an operation on that. He is just getting pain in his calf and can’t run fully. He was trying to do a bit of work so we gave him as much time as possible.”

As for the captaincy, Gatland said his options were open.

“You look at the squad and I don’t think there are any guaranteed starting positions. Players will get opportunities.

“Picking the right person as captain, it is the support they are going to get, or is it potentially co-captains that can share that role and responsibility. We will put a leadership group together.”

Gatland had co-captains in 2018 when forwards Ellis Jenkins and Cory Hill shared the role.

Alun Wyn Jones was Wales’ long-time captain until he was injured after the 2021 Lions tour. Dan Biggar took over through the 2021 autumn tests, the 2022 Six Nations and mid-year tour of South Africa. When a knee injury ruled out Biggar from the 2022 autumn series, Justin Tipuric led Wales. Owens took over on Gatland’s return as coach.

The captain options have thinned considerably in the last month or so. Jones and Tipuric surprisingly retired from test rugby last month, Hill made himself unavailable for the World Cup, and Biggar has competition from Gareth Anscombe at flyhalf.

Owens was set to lead Wales. The year out with the first back injury gave him an unintended freshness on his return, and he scored his first test try in two years in the Six Nations. He has 91 caps for Wales and five more for the Lions.

Ospreys hooker Sam Parry replaced him in the squad.

Two others in the Wales squad were also injured and withdrawn: Scarlets back-rower Josh Macleod and Cardiff prop Will Davies-King.

Wales has two training camp next month; in the Swiss Alpine resort of Fiesch from next week, then a week-long camp outside Antalya, Turkey.

Wales then has three warmup tests in August against England and South Africa.