Leinster Rugby are delighted to announce the squad for the 2009/10 season…
Scotland international lock Nathan Hines has signed a two-year deal with the Heineken Cup champions and he arrives from Perpignan where his form prompted a call up to the recent British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa.
Hines will be joined by Ireland tight-head prop Mike Ross (Harlequins) and Australian back Shaun Berne (Bath) who have each agreed two year deals with the province. Hooker Richardt Strauss, 23, has also agreed a deal with the province and joins from the Cheetahs.
The quartet will join Ireland international scrum-half Eoin Reddan who had previously signed a three-year deal from London Wasps.
Meanwhile, scrum-half Paul O’Donohoe, who made four senior appearances last season, and hooker Jason Harris-Wright have both been awarded their first professional contracts and are the latest graduates from the Leinster Academy.
Leo Cullen will continue as captain after guiding the province to the Heineken Cup title last season, while there is one remaining vacancy in the playing squad.
Leinster will travel to Nice for a week long training camp in the south of France which will include a pre-season friendly against Rugby Nice Cote d’Azur on Friday, 21st August (KO: 7pm, local) before continuing their preparations with a game against London Irish a week later on Friday, 28th August in Donnybrook (KO: 7pm) ahead of the start of the Magners League campaign.
Meanwhile, over 10,600 season ticket holders have signed up to watch Leinster next season in the RDS. The application deadline for this season closes this Friday. Full details of season ticket packages can be found HERE
Leinster Squad 2009/10 (alphabetical order)…
BACKS: *Shaun Berne, Gordon D’Arcy, Girvan Dempsey, Luke Fitzgerald, Shane Horgan, Chris Keane, Rob Kearney, Simon Keogh, Fergus McFadden, Isa Nacewa, *Paul O’Donohoe, Brian O’Driscoll, Eoin O’Malley, *Eoin Reddan, Jonathan Sexton
FORWARDS: Leo Cullen, John Fogarty, *Jason Harris-Wright, Cian Healy, Jamie Heaslip, *Nathan Hines, Trevor Hogan, Bernard Jackman, Shane Jennings, Stephen Keogh, Ronan McCormack, Kevin McLaughlin, Sean O’Brien, Malcolm O’Kelly, *Mike Ross, *Richardt Strauss, Devin Toner, CJ van der Linde, Stan Wright
*Denotes new addition
