Young Munster Bolster Squad For New Season

Young Munster RFC have announced some exciting new signings for the 2011/2012 Ulster Bank League season. The Cookies finished third in Division 1A last season, having won promotion the season before.

Last season’s Ulster Bank League Division 1 semi-finalists have confirmed that scrum half Brian Haugh, whose match-winning kick secured the Avonmore Milk Schools Senior Cup for his Rockwell side, will join the Young Munster senior squad.

Also confirmed is former Munster Academy player Andrew Burke who played with UCC last season.

Former St. Munchin’s star Lukas Kunz, who plays at centre and on the wing, is also on the 2011/2012 squad list for Young Munster, along with centre Mike Kelliher, the Munster ‘A’ player from Richmond.

Harry de Stacpoole, who played in the UL Bohemians back-line last season, also joins the Cookies’ new line-up for the coming campaign.

Hooker Ger Bourke is returning to Greenfields from Old Crescent. He is joined by second row Sean Duggan, who played underage with Young Munster and is moving back from Shannon. In the back row, Mark Rowley joins the squad from Thomond.

Mike Prendergast, Young Munster’s director of rugby, said: “With the extra two teams in Division 1A next year, we know it’s going to be a long season with those added games.

“We identified that we needed to bolster our squad with some new signings to compliment the existing players and thankfully we’ve attracted some good signings to the club which should strengthen our squad even further.

“We also worked on getting ex-players involved at coaching level in our underage teams, and coming into the coaching set-up at senior level as well. It’s great to see this coming to fruition.”

Munsters have strengthened their second team with the addition of the former Richmond coaches Gearoid Prendergast and Mark Hayes, who are both ex Young Munster players.

In addition, Gearoid will be assisting with the first team coaching set-up as player-coach Prendergast hopes to soon resume his playing duties having been forced to spend last season on the sidelines due to a cruciate knee ligament injury.

The club have also appointed Ciaran O’Regan as their new strength and conditioning coach, and it was also confirmed that Munster and Ireland back Keith Earls has rejoined Young Munster for the coming season.