A FORMER Ireland captain and national coach, Ciaran Fitzgerald, has been appointed as coach to Greystones. He will take up the appointment with immediate effect and is a major capture for the Co Wicklow club.

Fitzgerald coached Ireland in the 1991 World Cup and for over two seasons before standing down in the autumn of 1992. He completed a three-year spell as coach to St Mary's College just a few weeks ago, but the partnership was not renewed. During his time with St Mary's he helped the club to win the Leinster Senior Cup in 1995 and to third place in the AIL that year. St Mary's won the Leinster Senior League this season and finished fourth in the AIL.

Fitzgerald's appointment at Greystones is part of a three-year development programme drawn up by the club at which former international Paul McNaughton is now director of rugby and former prop Joe Boyle is manager.

Hooker Shane Byrne (Blackrock College) was yesterday called into the Ireland Development squad for the tour to New Zealand. Byrne, a member of the Ireland squad this season and an A international, replaces Ross Nesdale (Newcastle), who withdrew.

Byrne was called out to Australia as a replacement during Ireland's tour there in 1994 and was also called into the World Cup party in South Africa in 1995 when Keith Wood was injured.

Nesdale is the sixth player to withdraw from the selected development party through injury. Denis Hickie, Jonathan Bell, Paddy Johns, Mark Egand all withdrew because of injury. On Tuesday prop Paul Wallace had to withdraw because he was called into the Lions squad to tour South Africa when Peter Clohessy withdrew.

The Irish party flew from Shannon airport to London yesterday en route to New Zealand.