Great news for Irish rugby as BOD signs one year deal

It’s the news all Irish rugby fans were hoping for as the IRFU have announced that Brian O’Driscoll has penned a new one-year deal to play for another season.

By Declan Whooley

The Lions centre has signed a new deal that will see him available for his country until June 2014 and has said he is delighted to extend his career for another campaign.

“I want to thank the IRFU and Leinster for allowing me the time to think about my future and discuss my options with my family,” he said in the statement.

“The support my family and the Irish and Leinster fans have shown me over the past few months, and indeed years, has been phenomenal and I am now very much looking forward to one more year playing with Ireland and Leinster.”

The news will be music to the ears of new Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt who has worked so closely with the country’s record try scorer over the past three years.

“It’s great that Brian has agreed to continue playing. He’s an inspirational player, not only on the pitch, but also on the training ground,” he said.

“He’s played well again this season and other players continue to learn from him. I know that every squad of which he is a part will profit from his qualities both as a rugby player and a person.”

RTE will have to roll out a few more montages for next year’s Six Nations campaign and Leinster and Ireland supporters will get to see perhaps our finest ever rugby player terrorise defences for another season.