France coach Guy Noves on Tuesday officially named Toulon hooker Guilhem Guirado as captain for the upcoming Six Nations tournament.

"I took advantage of the day (Monday) to meet the five or six players who seemed to me to be important to the life of the group and the progress of our project including the captain," Noves said in a statement on the French Rugby Federation (FFR) website.

"We have officially announced to the entire group that the future France captain will be Guilhem Guirado."

Noves, 61, took over from Philippe Saint-Andre last November after a disastrous World Cup campaign which ended with France's 62-13 quarter-final thrashing by eventual champions New Zealand.

Noves and his new training staff brought together 30 players at the national training centre at Marcoussis, outside Paris, early this week to outline his game plan for the France team.

Guirado, 29, has earned 38 caps since 2008, and takes over from Thierry Dusautoir, captain 56 times, who ended his international career after the World Cup.

France will legin their Six Nations' campaign against Italy on February 6 at the Stade de France.

Source: AFP