Gloucester flanker Lewis Ludlow says it was “brutal” to lose the membership captaincy final August and he would “take it again tomorrow” if supplied.
Ludlow has performed greater than 250 video games for the Cherry and Whites and his time as skipper between 2020 and 2025 makes him the longest-serving captain within the membership’s historical past.
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Nonetheless, the 31-year-old was changed by Tomos Williams within the position for the 2025-26 season, though the Welshman has since signed for Saracens this summer time.
“It was brutal,” Ludlow instructed BBC Radio Gloucestershire about being instructed he was not captain.
“I did not change personally, however it takes some getting used to.”
Ludlow was chatting with BBC Radio Gloucestershire for an hour-long interview particular as he prepares for his testimonial season on the Prem membership.
Whereas he felt the captaincy change was coming, he was nonetheless shocked when the dialog occurred throughout pre-season.
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“I might sort of ready myself for it as a result of it was all the time going to occur sooner or later,” he mentioned.
“I did not assume it will be that timing however it was and I felt like the one factor I may do then was fear about my rugby and be the perfect bloke I may very well be to assist Tommy [Williams].
“From what individuals have mentioned, I did that. I am most likely prouder of that than something. I have been in altering rooms the place individuals aren’t that bloke and it makes it very troublesome. However I did not need that to be the case.”
Regardless of the change Ludlow mentioned team-mates nonetheless usually referred to him as ‘Skip’ and referees would search him out post-match as they had been so used to him being captain.
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Nonetheless, he believes he and Williams created a working relationship that also allowed Ludlow to make use of his authority within the group.
“We did pretty much as good as we may when it comes to balancing him being captain, me nonetheless main the place I may and attempting to be as efficient as potential,” Ludlow mentioned.
‘All the time be grateful’ to have captained England
Ludlow led England out at Twickenham as captain for 2 video games – his solely worldwide caps [Getty Images]
Ludlow has additionally worn the captain’s armband for England, though remarkably the 2 video games he captained for his nation in 2021 stay the one two he has ever performed at worldwide stage.
He was named captain by then head coach Eddie Jones for matches towards the USA and Canada at a time when an array of gamers had been away on Lions responsibility and Jones was seeking to widen his squad earlier than the 2023 World Cup.
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Ludlow grew to become simply the fifth participant to ever captain England on his debut.
However after receiving a pink card towards Canada, and a subsequent four-game ban for foul play, he by no means performed for England once more despite the fact that Jones wrote a letter of reward for his disciplinary committee.
“It was probably the nicest factor anybody’s ever written about me and he [Jones] defined why he picked me as captain, the management expertise I’ve proven and the way he’d been to look at all of the video games throughout the season,” Ludlow mentioned.
“It was what I used to be doing within the warm-ups, what I used to be doing within the huddles, what I used to be doing post-game, which is why he needed to make me the captain.”
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Ludlow was known as into coaching camps within the interval that adopted however mentioned he has no regrets about by no means pulling on a Crimson Rose shirt once more.
“Once I completed that summer time I might by no means been fitter, I might by no means been stronger,” he mentioned.
“We performed some class rugby in these two video games and I bought to turn out to be the fifth particular person to captain my nation ever on debut and for that I am going to all the time be grateful.”
Ache free for first time in 5 years
The 2026-27 season shall be Ludlow’s 14th at Gloucester after coming by means of their academy and he has his sights on surpassing Nick Wooden’s all-time membership report of 277 appearances within the skilled period.
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Ludlow mentioned his physique feels “actually good” going into the brand new season after his 2025-26 marketing campaign was disrupted by persistent accidents in his hand and wrist that meant present process surgical procedure in April.
The surgical procedure, which fused joints in his thumb on his proper hand, means he lastly feels ache free for the primary time in 5 years, despite the fact that he’ll proceed to put on a forged throughout video games.
Because of the ache he generally couldn’t choose up his younger son, and even choose up on a regular basis gadgets like a kettle or saucepan.
“To have the ability to simply do regular on a regular basis duties with out issues hurting as a lot as they did, it is fairly unusual actually, however it was a pleasant feeling,” he mentioned.
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Ludlow has two clear targets for his testimonial season, which has occasions scheduled over the following 12 months.
The primary is to boost cash for 2 charities: 4Ed, which was arrange by his good friend and former team-mate Ed Slater after he was recognized with motor neurone illness, and the Nationwide Basis for Retired Service Animals. The second is to interrupt Wooden’s report.
“I wish to give as a lot to these two charities as potential to have the ability to make an announcement of ‘that is what I’ve given these guys’ and be capable to record off to followers the place it is gone and the way it’s completed and the way it’s labored out,” he mentioned.
“After which throughout the season I would like 13 video games. It would be a tremendous testimonial season to interrupt Woody’s report.
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“I do know when and the place it needs to be, however there is a lengthy approach to go earlier than then.”
