Mowen is the second player in the club's 17-season history, with inaugural skipper Brett Robinson, to be given the full-time Brumbies captaincy duties without already earning a Wallabies cap.

Wallabies Stephen Moore and Pat McCabe and prop Dan Palmer will be Mowen's deputies for the Super Rugby season.

The leadership quartet was officially announced yesterday with White declaring he needed new blood at the top of his squad.

Mowen is preparing for his first season with the Brumbies after playing 42 games for NSW and Queensland.

Moore has played 65 Tests for the Wallabies and 84 Super Rugby matches, while McCabe and Ben Alexander have played at last year's World Cup and Palmer has established himself as the leader of the scrum.

But White said he needed a captain with a fresh outlook and Mowen was the perfect candidate.

''[Mowen] has what I want in terms of a leader, he relates well with the senior and junior players in the team,'' White said.

''At this stage I think the club needs something new, that's a reality.

''That's not taking anything away from the boys who have been here, but this is a new group of players and the dynamic is different.

''I really think Ben adds value to the whole squad, starting from the youngest player right up to the oldest.''

Mowen is also the only current Australian Super Rugby captain without an international cap.

In the past, Brumbies captains have been established Wallabies stars.

Australian captains George Gregan and Stirling Mortlock were given the captaincy duties and after they moved on, Stephen Hoiles and Matt Giteau led the team.

Club great Robinson played 16 Tests for the Wallabies, but he was made Brumbies captain before making his international debut.

Mowen could follow the same path if he takes his opportunity under White.

The 27-year-old is a former Australian under 21s captain and will pack down at the back of the Brumbies' scrum in a trial match against the ACT XV at Greenway Oval tonight.

Mowen said he was comfortable with the added responsibility and hoped his past success and failures would help him guide the Brumbies into a new era.

''It's not going to be like I'm the one guy and the one voice, what we need is lots of voices and leadership,'' Mowen said.

''There is definitely pressure that comes with the position, but I don't feel any more pressure because Wallabies players have filled the Brumbies' captaincy role before me.

''I feel pressure in terms of the results and that's normal for this situation. We are more than comfortable with the expectation of the past and we're not here to make up the numbers - the plan is to go well straight away.''

Moore, McCabe and Palmer will provide a solid leadership group with Mowen, but White said his policy was to invite all players to have equal input into how the team plays.

And with two experienced players - Mowen and Moore - and two stars on the rise, White hoped he had the perfect forumla for success. ''It's not a case of making changes for the sake of making changes or picking Ben because we want to be different,'' White said.

''I really believe Ben is what I'm looking for, he complements me well, he understands exactly what we want to get out of the game and he's a clever rugby player.

''I think the [leadership group] really bridges the gap between where I want to be in four years' time and where I think we need to be now.''

Moore said the vice-captain trio's job in the team was to use their performances in games to help Mowen lead the team.

''Our role is to be the support network for Benny and we'll look to do that,'' Moore said.