LEICESTER can confirm Max Fricke has been appointed as their team captain for the new Sports Insure Premiership season.
The Australian star took over as Watling JCB Lions skipper midway through last season, and will continue in the role as he goes into his second year with the club.
Fricke was previously captain of his former club Belle Vue in 2018-19 and became a hugely popular and respected figure at the Pidcock Motorcycles Arena, Beaumont Park as he established himself with the Lions.
Co-promoter and manager Stewart Dickson has also announced that new signing Sam Masters, who has joined from Wolverhampton, will be the Lions’ new vice-captain.
Masters is one of three ex-Wolves riders to make the switch to Leicester for 2024, along with Ryan Douglas and Luke Becker, and he had skippered the former Monmore club in the last two seasons.
Dickson said: “I enjoyed working with Max last season. The way he goes about his business is a good example to everyone, and I was very pleased he accepted the offer to continue as captain.
“I didn’t know him that well before last year, obviously he’d raced against my Glasgow teams when he was at Edinburgh, but it had generally tended to only be the riders who I worked with who I was taking an interest in.
“After last year I know a lot more of the Premiership riders, Grand Prix riders and so on, you start to forge new relationships and everything that Max did impressed me.
“I mentioned earlier in the winter how pleased we are to have Sam on board with us, especially with how well he’s always gone at Leicester, and for me it’s a logical move to make him vice-captain in a team where he knows most of the riders very well.
“I’m sure we will all work well together and with March fast approaching it now really feels like the new season is just around the corner.”
The Watling JCB Lions open their Premiership campaign with a home clash against Belle Vue on Thursday March 14 (7.30pm).
