FULLBACK ROB KEARNEY has signed a new three-year deal with the IRFU and Leinster, tying him down until 2018.
The 28-year-old has been with home province Leinster for his entire professional career so far, and has resisted any possible temptation to move abroad by agreeing terms on this new deal.
Kearney was in the 15 shirt last weekend for Ireland’s excellent 29-15 victory over South Africa and remains a key player under head coach Joe Schmidt.
For Leinster’s Matt O’Connor, securing the future of Kearney is a major boost, particularly with Johnny Sexton returning next season.
The IRFU have been increasingly proactive in contract negotiations under new Performance Director David Nucifora, who has looked to begin the process of re-contracting players earlier than had been the norm under previous regimes.
Jamie Heaslip and Sean O’Brien both signed new deals last season despite intense interest from French clubs, while ensuring that Sexton will return to Ireland after two seasons with Racing Métro was a major coup for the IRFU.
“I am happy to have signed a new contract that will keep me at Leinster for another three years,” said Kearney of his new deal.
“I made my debut for Leinster almost 10 years ago and it is a great honour be in a position to extend my contract and hopefully play a part in future success at both provincial and national level.”
Meanwhile, Leinster CEO welcomed the news as important for the province in the coming seasons:
“It is great that Rob has signed a new IRFU contract which keeps him at Leinster up to the end of the 2018 season. Rob is a senior international with a proven pedigree and a key voice within our environment.
“Keeping our stars at Leinster will ensure that we continue to compete for silverware in our domestic competition and in Europe.”
Great news. Showing good form since he retuned from injury. Had a stormer on Saturday IMHO.
Brilliant on Saturday natural born leader
He’s really stepped up a level this year with the leadership attributes a senior player.
Good news. Hopefully he can keep up the good form going into the Georgia game (If he is selected) and against the Aussies. COYBIG.
Good to see the IRFU on it’s game and not letting contracts become the last minute fiasco they had become a few seasons back… who else of the big names are out of contract this year anyway?
Peter O’Mahony off the top of my head? Hopefully he is next in line.
POM just bought a house in Cork. Safe to say he isn’t going anywhere.
Hope your right Cian.
That it, just POM left, handy year for the IRFU so… When is Murray’s contract up? There could be some serious offers from France to deal with….
I wonder how long it will be before the French (& English) start to target guys a little further down the pecking order who are a little bit bottlenecked by the otherwise excellent provincial system.
For example, Leinster centre Gary Ringrose – who is still on an academy contract – was recently one of five nominees for IRB Junior Player of the Year. The winner was Handre Pollard. One is starting for SA, the other has at least 2/3 players ahead of him at his club and has no realistic chance of making RWC with Ireland. Guys like that – JJ Hanrahan, Luke McGrath, Stuart McCloskey – are surely vulnerable to a tempting offer.
Fair point! In fact Sexton’s own brother was a one of a number of Leinster academy players to go to France and I think he may be playing in England now so but not sure the French or the English have ever actively poached from our academies!
Probably says something about the pool of players they have at youth level.
The French want to play dream team rugby and parachute the world’s best but apart from London Irish I don’t see any active recruitment of Irish players
Don’t know about the rest of the country, but I do know the English clubs have been contacting players who are still in school in Dublin unfortunately
For the many guys who don’t make the grade in the provincial academies, playing in the English or French second tier can provide an onward route within pro rugby. That’s a good thing – for those players, for Irish rugby. Some will even develop and make it to the top, or near enough. Munster No 8 Robin Copeland is a good example. Exeter’s ex-Ulstermen Whitten & Steenson have been top performers in the Premiership over the past couple of seasons. Over at Bernard Jackman’s Grenoble both James Hart & Chris Farrell are getting opportunities they weren’t seeing at home.
All of the above is good.
What concerns me is if the top young talent in the academies (or clubs) see their path blocked at their province, and so move overseas. Gary Ringrose is perhaps the most obvious case of an exceptional talent who, at almost 20, is conceivably 2/3 seasons away from playing regularly at Leinster. If he were a Kiwi, for example, I’m pretty sure he’d be getting senior game time at Super 15. Currently on a modest academy contract, what does he do if, say, a Toulouse offers him a deal where he earns & plays a lot more?
Kearney = sex.
Brilliant news!!