Ireland international Gavin Duffy has been selected as the new captain of Connacht for the new season which starts with their first Pro12 match against Treviso in the Stadio Monigo on Saturday.

Duffy earned the first of his 10 Irish caps against South Africa in 2004 and played against Argentina in the 2007 World Cup. The fullback has been ever-present in the Connacht squad since his return to the Province in 2007 following a 4 year stint with Harlequins.

Having played for Ireland at schools, Under-21, Sevens and A level, Duffy is one of a select few to earn 100 caps for Connacht and was part of Connacht's 2010 European Challenge Cup semifinal team that narrowly lost to Toulon at the Sportsground.

Speaking about the new role Duffy said: "I'm delighted to be asked to captain the team for the year. Playing for your province is a huge honour and to be asked to captain the side only adds to that.

"There’s been huge support for Connacht in the last couple of years and this season, with the number of season tickets already sold, there should be a great buzz in the Sportsground.

"It's up to us now to put in the performances on the pitch and everyone's looking forward to getting the league started this weekend," he added.

Head Coach Eric Elwood, speaking about Duffy's selection, said: "Gavin is one of our most senior players and a great servant to the club; he has shown huge leadership both on and off the pitch and will captain the squad for the season ahead. John (Muldoon) has been a terrific captain for the last three years and will continue to lead by example but now it's Gavin's opportunity to lead the team."