Introducing Club Captain 2025/6 Kevin Burke

Club Captain Kevin Burke

We are delighted to announce Kevin Burke as our Club Captain for the season 2025/6.

Hailing from a family deeply engrained in the culture and history of Salmo, Kevin follows in the recent footsteps of his brother Ian as he dons the armband. With his Dad Karl a past president, Mum Kate a stalwart of the Ladies' committee, younger brother David part of our U20 side and youngest brother Kieran also having worn Salmo colours it is hard to imagine the club without the Burke family and vice-versa! As a proud past pupil of De La Salle Churchtown, Kevin represents yet another example of the close ties the club has with a number of schools in the locality, relationships which have been hugely beneficial to all involved.

Commenting on his appointment, Kevin said: "I'm absolutely honoured and grateful to be Club Captain for the coming season. My family have deep roots in the club and the club has done so much for us over the last 20-odd years, especially with Kieran's Memorial Blitz, and I will do my utmost to repay that.

"Whilst filling Pauley's boots wont be easy, he set a great example to follow and I would like to give him a special thanks for all he did for the squad last year.

"The lads have all been working really hard over the summer in pre-season and we're hopeful of a successful campaign to come. Vic, Conor and the coaching/backroom staff have all been brilliant. We had a small taste of success last year (our O'Connell Cup win) so the lads are hungry to add to that now and we have some strong additions to the squad to help us push on from here."

Director of Rugby, Norman Byrne: "I'm delighted for Kev on this well-deserved honour. He is a great Salmo club person, as are all his family and I know this means a huge amount to both Kev and the family. Kev is the most experienced player in our young and exciting senior squad and he commands the respect of the players around him, not least for the manner in which he came back from not one but two leg breaks in a really short period of time.

"To be back playing at all, let alone playing well enough to earn the club captaincy, says a lot about the resolve and character of the person as much as the player. I've no doubt at all that he will bring these qualities to bear over the course of his captaincy.

"I wish Kev well on behalf of the whole squad and indeed the wider club. I'm looking forward to supporting him as he leads the senior squad and represents Salmo as Club Captain for the season ahead."

On behalf of everyone at the club, we wish Kevin every success in his new role.