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Milne And Barron To Join Munster, With Prop Ryan Penning First Senior Deal

Munster Rugby and the IRFU have confirmed that Academy prop Kieran Ryan will move up to the province’s senior squad next season on a two-year contract, with prop Michael Milne and hooker Lee Barron joining from Leinster on two-year deals.

Ryan moves up to a development contract next year and will progress to a senior contract for the 2026/27 season.

He becomes the fourth Munster Academy player moving up to the senior squad next year, with two-year deals confirmed for Shay McCarthy, Evan O’Connell, and Ruadhán Quinn earlier this month.

The Limerick man, who can play loosehead and tighthead, made his Munster senior debut against the Hollywoodbets Sharks in October 2023 and has already made 11 appearances, the most recent of which came in the bonus point win over the Dragons last weekend.

The 22-year-old came up through the ranks at Shannon RFC and St. Munchin’s College and plays his Energia All-Ireland League rugby with Shannon.

Ryan represented the Ireland Under-20s in 2022 and made his Investec Champions Cup debut against Stade Francais earlier this season.

Meanwhile, powerful prop Milne came up through the ranks at Birr RFC and Cistercian College Roscrea.

Hailing from Birr, County Offaly, he has scored 12 tries in 47 appearances for Leinster since making his senior debut as an Academy player in 2019. He will join Munster this summer.

He played schools rugby alongside current Munster prop Josh Wycherley, and the pair won a Grand Slam with the Ireland Under-20s in 2019 when Munster’s Craig Casey and John Hodnett were also part of the squad.

The 25-year-old front rower represented Emerging Ireland in 2022 and has twice been called up to train with the Ireland senior squad.

A dynamic hooker who has represented Ireland at U-20 level, Barron has scored three tries in 22 appearances since making his senior debut for Leinster as an Academy player against the Sharks in 2022.

The 23-year-old has spent the past five years at Leinster having come up through the ranks at Lansdowne FC and St. Michael’s College.

He has scored one try in six appearances so far this season, and also joins Munster ahead of the 2025/26 campaign on a two-year contract.

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Dave Mervyn

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