IRELAND A centre Martin Ridge, who plays for Leinster tonight against Leicester in the European Cup, is the latest Irish player to move to England. He has joined Courage League second division club Moseley.

He joined Old Belvedere from Blackrock at the start of last season and has signed a three-year contract with Moseley with an opt-out clause at the end of each season. His move to England takes immediate effect and he will not play for Old Belvedere again this season.

Ridge will be available to Leinster for the duration of the current European Cup and for future matches. He links up with one of his Leinster colleagues at Moseley, prop Henry Hurley, who joined Moseley at the start of the season from Old Wesley.

Ridge's tenure in England could depend on the contracts the IRFU are currently drawing up aimed at keeping Irish players at home and giving an incentive to those currently in England to return home.

A spokesman for Old Belvedere said last night: "Martin has kept us fully informed and, while we are very sorry to lose him, we wish him every success.

Ridge, capped at under-21 as well as A level, has been unlucky with injuries - his most recent being a shoulder injury that caused him to miss Leinster's match last week against Llanelli - and was a member of the Ireland side that toured New Zealand in 1992.