Stephen Moore has been named as the Wallabies captain for their upcoming series against France.

The announcement ends weeks of speculation over Ewen McKenzie's choice to succeed Ben Mowen, who will not be involved having signed a contract to play in France after the Super Rugby campaign.

Moore, who is Australia's most capped hooker, will become Australia's 81st Test captain, while Waratahs' duo Michael Hooper and Adam Ashley-Cooper have been confirmed as the team's vice-captains.

Coach Ewen McKenzie, speaking ahead of their opening match against the French at the Suncorp Stadium, gave the reasons behind his decision.

'They've all been recognised for the contributions they make to the Wallabies environment and I'm confident they possess the right leadership attributes to take this team to the next level,' said McKenzie. 'It's a new group of leaders with a variety of personalities and experiences, where in combination they are empowered to help set a new direction towards the 2015 World Cup.'

'For Stephen, I want to congratulate him on what is a huge personal achievement in being chosen to lead your country. He has been in and around the leadership set-up at both provincial and national level for a long time and as a result has experienced and seen almost every possible sporting leadership scenario. He won't be fazed by the challenge of captaincy. He understands what works well and why, and I think the added responsibility will suit him and the direction we are taking the team.

'When I consider what qualities are important for the captain of this team, I'm looking for someone who drives positive outcomes across all areas of high performance.

'Captaincy is a 24/7 commitment and one where the person chosen must be heavily involved in the day-to-day business functions of the teams. Stephen ticks all of those boxes, in addition to being a player who leads by example on the field.'

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