Ian Keatley signs new two-year Munster deal

Ian Keatley has penned a two-year contract extension that will keep him at Munster until at least June 2017. The 27-year-old is one of four players to have committed his future to the province, along with development players Cian Bohane and Shane Buckley and academy prospect, Jack O'Donoghue.

Keatley, an Under-20 Six Nations Grand Slam winner with Ireland in 2007, spent three seasons at Connacht before joining Munster at the start of the 2011-2012 season, initially as back-up to Ronan O’Gara.

The former Belvedere College pupil has since made 89 appearances for Munster, scoring 703 points. He has three caps for Ireland – he made his debut against Canada in 2009 – the last of which was when coming on as a replacement against Georgia last November.

Centre, Bohane (23) and backrow, Buckley (22) were both on development contracts and have signed one year extensions while number eight, O’Donoghue, a player of huge potential, has agreed a three year deal that will take him from academy to development contract.

Meanwhile Leinster have confirmed that outhalf Jimmy Gopperth will leave the province for Wasps – the Irish side face the English club in their final Champions Cup pool match later this month – at the end of the season.

The New Zealander joined Leinster from the Newcastle Falcons at the start of last season and has since made 45 appearances, scoring 280 points.

Gopperth admitted: “I’d like to thank Matt, Marco, Leo, Richie and all of the coaches during my time at Leinster for the opportunity to play in this environment and for this club with such a tradition and history.

“I’ve always been very proud to pull on that jersey and to represent the supporters and no day was I more proud than last May in the RDS in the PRO12 Final against Glasgow. A full RDS is hard to beat and it is a day and an atmosphere that I will never forget.

"This was a very tough decision but at this stage in my career I think it is the right decision and the opportunity to play for a club like Wasps was the right one to take. They have a good coach in Dai Young, great structures, a new stadium and play a similar brand of rugby to Leinster."