Barrett coup another win for Leinster
All Blacks star to join on short-term deal as Sheehan gets central contract
Leo Cullen says Jordie Barrett chose Leinster ahead of a number of other options as he confirmed the sensational swoop for the gifted All Blacks star.
The 27-year-old will join Leinster on a short-term deal from December to the end of next season. He is taking a sabbatical from his club Hurricanes and will remain contracted to the New Zealand Rugby Union during his spell in Ireland.
Barrett has strong family connections with the province, spending some time in Meath in the early 2000s when his family – including future All Black brothers Beauden and Scott – relocated to Oldcastle, while his father, Kevin, managed a farm and played rugby with Buccaneers.
“It’s going to be a great place for me to develop as a rugby player in a different environment where I’ll learn so many different things,” said Barrett, who has played 57 times – scoring 292 points, including 24 tries – for the All Blacks.
“Ireland is a special place for the Barrett family. We’ve got so many great family connections in Oldcastle, in Meath and throughout Dublin. To have an opportunity to go back and meet some family and friends and connections that were made 20 years ago is pretty cool.”
Kevin and wife Robyn spent 15 months in Meath with six of their children – Kane, Beauden, Scott, Blake, Jordie and Jenna; daughters Ella and Zara were born after they moved back home to New Zealand.
Leinster had further good news yesterday as the IRFU confirmed that their hooker, Dan Sheehan, would progress to his first central contract, signing a two-year deal.
“We’re delighted that Jordie has agreed to join us after New Zealand’s tour in early December, especially as he has chosen Leinster ahead of a number of other very attractive options,” said Cullen.
Barrett can play in a number of positions in the back-line, predominantly an inside centre; Munster already have an NIQ inside centre in Alex Nankivell, also a Kiwi, so Leinster may register him nominally as a back-three player.
“As a whole, I think this move is going to be really challenging, but a positive challenge,” added Barrett. “Heading north to different conditions, different teams, different referees – I think it will open my game up, make me see the game differently and I’ll ultimately bring the best bits back to New Zealand rugby and into a Test jersey, ideally, at the end of it.
“The reality of being a professional athlete is that you’ve only got a small window to have these opportunities and I’d love to be sitting there in 20 or 30 years with my kids or grandkids, knowing that I left no stone unturned, and I took up this opportunity to better myself.”
Tickets for Leinster’s Champions Cup semi-final on May 4 will go on public sale at 10am this Friday and following criticism of Aviva semi-final prices last season, organisers have reduced prices.
Meanwhile, over 44,500 tickets have been sold for the Women’s Six Nations game between England and Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday, according to the RFU. It’s set to be the largest attendance the Irish women’s squad have ever played in front of for a standalone game in this competition. Two years ago, there was a crowd of 15,836 at Welford Road to watch England beat Ireland 69-0.