Harris-Wright and Murphy to join Connacht ranks

Posted on May 17, 2012 in Connacht

With the Heineken Cup, RaboDirect PRO12 and British & Irish Cup competitions all arriving at the Sportsground next season Head Coach Eric Elwood has been busy extending Connacht’s squad and has added Jason Harris-Wright from Bristol and Brian Murphy from Galwegians to the Connacht ranks.

Adding to the extensive expansion behind the scenes both players join Connacht on one year contracts. Along with the Heineken Cup returning to Galway, the British & Irish Cup will add to the number of competitive fixtures in the season and there is a massive opportunity for exposure to rugby at the top level. Connacht Rugby are delighted to be able to provide genuine rugby experience to emerging, Irish-qualified talent and Harris-Wright and Murphy are the latest additions to that contingent.

24 year old hooker Harris-Wright is a product of the Leinster Academy and has 11 senior appearances for the club as well as four Heineken Cup matches under his belt including the 2011 final victory over Northampton Saints.

Jason was part of the Ireland U20 World Championship team that beat Tonga in 2008 and featured in all bar one of Ireland U20′s RBS 6Nations matches the same year.

Asked about joining Connacht he said:

"I would just like to say I’m delighted to have signed for Connacht Rugby and I’m really looking forward to being part of a great club who I believe are making huge strides both in Europe and in the domestic competition. I look forward to meeting all the lads and getting stuck into pre-season next month."

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Mallinder signs new contract with the Saints

Posted on May 17, 2012 in Northampton

Northampton Saints today announced that director of rugby Jim Mallinder has signed a new contract with the club, which will extend his tenure at Franklin’s Gardens until at least 2015.

In just five short years Mallinder has taken the Saints from the pain of relegation to being considered one of the top clubs in Aviva Premiership Rugby and in the Heineken Cup.

Indeed the club has not enjoyed such consistent levels of success – four trophies; five finals in five years, including the 2011 Heineken Cup final; and three successive Aviva Premiership Rugby semi-finals – since the 1950s and 60s.

Individuals have also flourished under the Yorkshireman’s guidance, with a modern-day record of eight players chosen in England’s 2012 Six Nations Elite Player Squad and no fewer than six England regulars having made their international debut since joining the club.

Mallinder has also rejuvenated the Saints Academy, appointing Dusty Hare to manage a production line which is now providing the first team squad with a steady stream of exciting young and talented players.

Already Aviva Premiership Rugby’s longest-serving current director of rugby, by the end of his new contract Mallinder will have been in charge of the team at Franklin’s Gardens for eight years, stability which chairman Leon Barwell says is vitally important for the continued growth and development of the club.

“Jim signing his new contract is terrific news for the club and underpins our aspirations for the future,” he said. “As we see so often in sports across the world having continuity of management is crucial in a club’s long-term success, and this is exactly what Jim brings to the Saints.

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Shaun Edwards to join London Irish

Posted on May 9, 2012 in London Irish, Premiership

London Irish has announced today that Wales’s Defence Coach, Shaun Edwards will be joining the London Irish coaching team.

He will start work after the Wales tour to Australia. Brian Smith also announced today that he will be stepping back up to a more hands on coaching role to run the team’s attack.

Edwards enjoyed a glittering playing career in rugby league representing Wigan on 467 occasions scoring 1,140 points. He won the Challenge Cup nine times with the Club and eight Championship titles. He was the youngest player to play in a Challenge Cup final and the youngest to be capped by Great Britain. He played 36 times for Great Britain, scoring 16 tries, and played in the 1992 and 1995 World Cups with England. He also won one cap for Ireland. Previously he played professionally for Balmain Tigers, in Australia, London Broncos and Bradford Bulls. He was voted Man of Steel in 1990 and is an inductee of the Wigan Hall of Fame.

Edwards started his rugby union coaching career at London Wasps in 2002 as backs coach and became an integral part of the coaching team that guided the Club through one of its most successful periods. Wasps won Premiership titles in 2003, 2004 and 2005 and the Heineken Cup in 2004 and 2007, the latter he won as the Club’s Head Coach.

In 2008 Shaun joined former Wasps colleague, Warren Gatland, as Defence Coach for the Welsh national side. Wales have since won the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2008 and 2012 as well as finishing fourth in the 2011 Rugby World Cup. In 2009 he was part of Ian McGeechan’s British and Irish Lions coaching team for the tour of South Africa.

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Toby Booth, Justin Bishop and Neal Hatley to leave London Irish

Posted on May 8, 2012 in London Irish, Premiership

London Irish have confirmed today that Toby Booth, Justin Bishop and Neal Hatley will be leaving the Club.

Toby and Neal have decided to join the new coaching set up at Bath Rugby, which has been announced today. Justin has decided to progress onto new opportunities within rugby and will announce his next move in due course.

Andy Martin, London Irish’s Chief Executive said: “Toby, Justin and Neal have been at the heart of London Irish for many years and we are all extremely proud of their achievements. Toby has led the team through one of its most successful ever periods and they have all been instrumental in recruiting and developing some of the Club’s most outstanding talent. We are extremely sad that they are leaving, however we understand the lure of career progression and so we sincerely thank them for their unfaltering commitment to London Irish and wish them all the very best of luck in their new endeavours.

“Our plans for next season are shaping up well. We have made some very strong player signings over the last few weeks to add to our existing talent and our priority now is to ensure that we have an equally strong back room set up under Brian Smith. Those wheels are already very much in motion and we will make further announcements as soon as possible.”

After joining the club as Assistant Academy Manager over a decade ago in January 2002, Toby Booth rose quickly up the ranks and was appointed as the Exiles’ Head Coach in 2008. He steered the Club through its most successful period of the professional era – leading the squad through a Premiership Final as well as securing qualification for the Heineken Cup for the three consecutive seasons. From 2003 his involvement with the Exiles’ senior squad increased and in 2004 he took on responsibility for the scrum and lineout. He was appointed Forwards Coach in June 2005 and since that time the London Irish pack has consistently been among the most effective in the Premiership. He was also forwards coach of the England Saxons team that successfully defended the Barclays Churchill Cup in June 2008.

Toby said: “After 10 years London Irish will always be part of me and the decision to leave was not taken lightly especially after the fantastic support shown to me by the fans throughout my time here. Moving is going to be a big change but I feel now is the right time for a fresh challenge. I have worked with fantastic players and coaches over the years and I would also like to thank everyone who has supported me. I wish London Irish the very best of luck for the future.”

Justin Bishop has been the London Irish Defence Coach this season. Prior to this he was Assistant Academy Manager. He enjoyed an illustrious playing career for the club playing 280 games for the Exiles, scoring 58 tries. He also represented Ireland on 25 occasions, scoring eight tries. He received the London Irish Player’s Player of the Season Award in 2000/2001 and London Irish Try of the Season in the same year. Justin was named Irish Post Awards Sports Personality of the Year 2006.

Justin Bishop said: “I have enjoyed almost two decades at London Irish and will go away with some fantastic memories, both as a player and a coach. It has been a privilege to be a part of but it is now time to move on and experience some new opportunities within rugby.”

Neal Hatley has been the London Irish Academy Manager since 2008 and has been assisting with the 1st XV forwards for the past two seasons. Prior to this, for over a decade, Neal enjoyed a successful career as a prop forward in the London Irish front row after joining the club in 1998. Playing over 250 top class games for the Exiles, Neal received Player of the year and Players Player of the year during his playing time at Irish. He also represented England A and was a senior England Tourist in 2003. In 2007 he captained the England Saxons side to Churchill Cup success, lifting the trophy after his side defeated New Zealand Maori at Twickenham.

Neal Hatley said: “London Irish has been a huge part of my life for so long and the decision to leave was a very difficult one. However the chance to further my career and become a forwards coach at a club like Bath was too difficult to pass up. I would like to thank everyone associated with the club and wish everyone at London Irish the very best for the future.”

All three coaches have played a pivotal role in the development of the Club’s home grown talent and can be credited for the outstanding progress of young players such as Delon Armitage, Topsy Ojo, David Paice, Nick Kennedy Alex Corbisiero, Jonathan Joseph, Tom Homer, Jamie Gibson and Anthony Watson.

London Irish’s Kieran Roche to retire at the end of the season

Posted on May 8, 2012 in London Irish

After much thought and discussion with his family, Kieran Roche has decided to call an end to his rugby career at the end of this season. Kieran has enjoyed 14 years as a professional (nine at London Irish) and is excited by the challenges that a new career in a different field will provide.

Kieran joined the club in January 2003 and has since made 179 appearances. A utility forward, playing in both the second and back row, Kieran has been one of the most consistent players of the Premiership era. Along with Bob Casey and Nick Kennedy, Kieran formed one of the most notorious line-out trio’s the Premiership has ever seen.

London Irish head coach, Toby Booth said: “Kieran has been one of London Irish’s greatest servants. A true professional and we thank him for his outstanding dedication and commitment to the Club. We would like to wish him and his family all the very best for the future. We know that he will be successful in his future career and we wish him luck. ”

Kieran Roche said: "I would like to thank everyone who has played a part in my rugby career, from my school days onwards, including the players, coaches and support staff that I have worked alongside both at Saracens and London Irish. I would also like to thank the supporters of both clubs; particularly those at London Irish who have made me feel a real part of such a great club for the last 10 years. A special thank you goes to my family who have given so much in support of my rugby.

“As with all players moving on from the game I will leave having made many lifelong friends and with many great memories of my time playing rugby. I’m looking forward to taking to the field one last time for London Irish at Madejski Stadium this weekend alongside some of those friends and hoping for a victorious send off for everyone who is moving on.”