Munster have confirmed today that JJ Hanrahan will return to the province next season after spending two years at English side Northampton.
Chris Farrell and James Hart, from Grenoble and Racing 92 respectively, have also joined Hanrahan in signing two year deals.
Munster have been further boosted with the news that Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, Rory Scannell, Tyler Bleyendaal, Duncan Williams and Darren Sweetnam have all signed contract extensions.
Contract Update: Farrell, Hanrahan & Hart to join and new deals for 6 further players | https://t.co/xRpzgtCBWy pic.twitter.com/lWHY1PaYs0
— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) January 24, 2017
Commenting on the new signings, Munster Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus said: "I've always indicated our intention to recruit Irish qualified players where and when possible so to secure the young trio of Farrell, Hanrahan and Hart is great for the province and Irish rugby in general.
"In addition to being hugely talented they bring a wealth of knowledge with their combined experiences from playing abroad and this will help with our overall squad development," he added.
JJ Hanrahan kicks a penalty for Munster. Image: ©INPHO/Donall Farmer
Referring to the contract extensions Erasmus said: "I've talked about maximising our potential time and time again. Retaining players such as Killer, Niall, Rory, Tyler, Duncan and Sweets is key to our long-term plans and they have all played an integral role in our success so far this season.
"Developing home-grown players is at the core of everything we do and it's rewarding to see five players who have advanced from the Munster pathway commit their future to the club, while also recognising the efforts of Tyler who has overcome long-term injury to make his mark in the squad this season," he added.
