Ben Gregory becomes one of Fylde RFC's youngest captains

The 22-year-old will succeed the retired prop Adam Lewis as skipper for the 2020-21 campaign, with fellow forward David Fairbrother named as his vice-captain.

Gregory is on a remarkable run of 68 successive appearances for Fylde, having featured in every National League game since January 2018.

Like Lewis a former Kirkham Grammar School pupil, Gregory has made 91 senior appearances in all and has represented Lancashire as well as England Countries Under-20s. He scored 13 tries in last season's 25 matches.

His deputy Fairbrother is an experienced and dynamic number eight, who has made 107 appearances over six seasons at Fylde and has represented the Royal Navy, Lancashire and England Counties.

Head coach Warren Spragg said: “Ben shares my ambition for this team and has earned the respect of his team-mates with his consistently high level of performance and his expectation of high standards in training.

"He will continue to use Adam Lewis as a mentor next season. Adam will be able to share his experience and help Ben adapt to the leadership role.

“Fairy is an inspirational character and someone our younger players look up to as a natural leader. His abrasive, no-nonsense approach is respected by everyone inside the club and across the league.”

Gregory said: “There was a big gap to fill because Adam has been over great the past couple of years.

“When Spraggy asked me about the captaincy it was a no-brainer. With the young squad we have, a few older lads and some new recruits, it really is a exciting season for Fylde to push on and I’m really looking forward to the campaign ahead.

“Having Fairy as vice-captain will take a bit of the pressure off me. He’s a great leader in the way he plays the game and I’m sure will help a lot throughout the season.”