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Leinster hooker Byrne makes Bristol move permanent

By Online Editors
Bryan Byrne has signed a one-year contract with Bristol Bears. (Photo By Sam Barnes/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Bristol have confirmed that Bryan Byrne has signed a one-year contract with the club following his short-term loan spell earlier this season. On Thursday, Leinster confirmed that Byrne would be leaving the Irish province, as the Pro14 champions announced 28 new contracts.

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And the Bears have now confirmed that the hooker will be staying in the Premiership.

Byrne, 26, made 47 appearances for Leinster, scoring 12 tries, but has not yet had a chance to fully show his worth to the Bears, making just one Premiership appearance before the season was suspended.

Yet the Leinster Academy product has clearly caught the eye on the training pitch.

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“Bryan made a very positive impression during his short time with us earlier in the season, and we’re delighted to have signed him on a permanent basis,” said Director of Rugby, Pat Lam.

“Bryan has a lot of top-level experience, including in the Champions Cup. To play nearly 50 times for a club like Leinster is a huge achievement and shows his pedigree.

“His signing further bolsters our depth and competition, joining Harry Thacker, Will Capon and George Kloska in the hooker position.”

Byrne added: “I thoroughly enjoyed my short spell at Bristol, and I’m delighted to be joining the club on a permanent basis.

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“Everybody at the club was so welcoming during my time in the city – there’s a fantastic togetherness here. It’s great to be back and to be part of the journey moving forward.

“I’m looking forward to working with Pat and the rest of the coaching team and helping contribute towards the club’s vision.”

The announcement comes on a busy morning of contract news in the Premiership.

Earlier today, Saracens confirmed that Nick Tompkins is heading out on loan despite signing a new long-term deal with the club.

Gloucester confirmed that four players have agreed to new terms, while eight players will be leaving Kingsholm.

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Elsewhere, Leicester Tigers announced the double-signing of Shaun Adendorff and Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi.

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Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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