12 months is an eternity in sport. This time last year there were questions being asked of Ireland’s Rugby provinces and how they could possibly compete against the might of English and French investment.
Roll on to 2017 and Leinster and Munster are well on track to sell out Quarter Finals in the Champions’ Cup, Jamie Heaslip is staying at home, Ian Madigan is looking to come home and yesterday Leinster and the IRFU announced seven new player contracts to lads emerging from the Academy system.
Joey Carbery, Ross Byrne, Rory O’Loughlin, Nick McCarthy, Andrew Porter, James Ryan and Peadar Timmins have between them played 55 times for Leinster in the Champions Cup and Guinness PRO12 this season, contributing 15 tries and 142 points.
“We invest a huge amount of time and resources into our Academy system in Leinster and we very much see these players and this model as the future of this club,” said Head Coach Leo Cullen.
“I am excited by the challenge that lies ahead of them as they look to kick on in their careers.”
“Huge credit must go to their clubs, their schools, to the Academy staff, led by Peter Smyth, and the domestic rugby team that spend so much time in the development of these players but today is about the seven players and I am delighted for them and their families.”
Producing home grown talent and giving them the opportunity to play at the highest level is a model that could have been designed as the optimum way to manage professional rugby and the comparison to France where in recent weeks there have been arrests of star players for drink driving and possession of Cocaine it seems to be the best way forward.
Victory over Wasps on April 1st will bring Leinster one step closer to the pinnacle of being Champions of Europe. Who knows they may yet come up against a resurgent Munster on that path and Ireland could by that time be celebrating a third 6 Nations Championship in four years.
Who know what tomorrow might bring but for now things look pretty good in the garden of Irish Rugby.
