Items18The creator’s order
  1. 1Jean BéliveauJean BéliveauIce hockey, Montreal Canadiens. Béliveau captained Montreal from 1961 to 1971 and lifted the Stanley Cup five times as captain, on top of five earlier wins. His style was dignified and diplomatic: team-mates and opponents describe a captain who rarely raised his voice and acted as a bridge between…0i
  2. 2Tony JacklinTony JacklinBorn 7 Jul 1944Golf, Europe's Ryder Cup team. Jacklin agreed to captain Europe in 1983 only if players were treated like stars: first-class travel, later including Concorde, the best clothing and equipment, and caddies included in the team. He picked partnerships carefully and consulted senior players such as…0i
  3. 3Steve YzermanSteve YzermanIce hockey, Detroit Red Wings. Yzerman was named captain at 21 in 1986 and held the role for 19 seasons until 2006, the longest captaincy in NHL history. Under coach Scotty Bowman he accepted a less glamorous defensive role for the good of the team, and that change, visible to every team-mate, is…0i
  4. 4Mark MessierMark MessierBorn 18 Jan 1961Ice hockey, Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers. Messier is the only player to captain two different clubs to the Stanley Cup, Edmonton in 1990 and the Rangers in 1994. Before game six of the 1994 conference final, with New York facing elimination, he publicly guaranteed a win and then scored a…0i
  5. 5Francois PienaarFrancois PienaarBorn 2 Jan 1967Rugby union, South Africa. Pienaar captained the Springboks to the 1995 World Cup at home, the country's first tournament after apartheid. His leadership was as much public as tactical: he built a working relationship with President Nelson Mandela, took the squad to Robben Island before the…0i
  6. 6John EalesJohn EalesBorn 27 Jun 1970Rugby union, Australia. Eales, a World Cup winner as a young lock in 1991, captained the Wallabies in 55 Tests and lifted the trophy again in 1999, and was so consistent that team-mates nicknamed him "Nobody", as in nobody's perfect. A lock who also kicked goals, he led through calm preparation and…0
  7. 7Martin Johnson (rugby union)Martin Johnson (rugby union)Born 9 Mar 1970Rugby union, England, the British and Irish Lions and Leicester. Johnson is the only man to captain the Lions on two tours, in 1997 and 2001, and captained England to the 2003 World Cup. Team-mates and coach Clive Woodward describe a captain of few words who led through physical example and set…0i
  8. 8Derek JeterDerek JeterBaseball, New York Yankees. Jeter was named Yankees captain in 2003, the first since Don Mattingly, and held the role until he retired in 2014, winning the 2009 World Series in it on top of four earlier titles. Baseball captaincy is largely symbolic, so his leadership was mostly a matter of…0i
  9. 9Brian O'DriscollBrian O'DriscollBorn 21 Jan 1979Rugby union, Ireland and the British and Irish Lions. O'Driscoll captained Ireland in 83 Tests and led them to the 2009 Six Nations Grand Slam, their first since 1948. He also captained the 2005 Lions, a tour that ended for him in the opening minutes of the first Test. Team-mates describe a captain…0i
  10. 10Richie McCawRichie McCawBorn 31 Dec 1980Rugby union, New Zealand. McCaw captained the All Blacks in 110 of his 148 Tests, a record, and lifted the World Cup in 2011 and 2015. He worked within a leadership group of senior players set up by coaches Graham Henry and Steve Hansen, so that decisions on the field and standards off it were…0i