Sam Warburton wants to retain British and Irish Lions captaincy

British and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton is hoping that he can keep hold of the armband when his side tour New Zealand in 2017.

Despite missing out on the deciding 41-16 victory over Australia with a hamstring injury, the Welshman skippered the tourists to their first series win in 16 years.

Despite the next tour being four years away, the 24-year-old has outlined his desire to be a part of the Lions' next travels.

"If I am fortunate enough to get the chance, I would love to captain the British and Irish Lions again in New Zealand in 2017," Warburton told The Telegraph.

"The past eight weeks have been the best rugby experience of my life and winning the series against Australia is by far the biggest achievement of my career.

"I am always unbelievably proud and emotional when I play for my country but when I was a boy I dreamed of also taking that next step and playing for the Lions. To captain the Lions to a series win, however, was beyond anything I could have imagined – even if it was slightly tempered by my hamstring injury preventing me from playing on Saturday – and while I know four years is a long time I would desperately love to be involved in the next tour."

Warburton is the youngest player to have ever captain the Lions.