Penney warns Muliaina signing may not be good for Irish rugby

Munster head coach Rob Penney has questioned whether Connacht’s signing of Mils Muliaina is in the best interests of Irish rugby.

A day after Connacht announced the biggest signing in their history, centurion All Black Muliaina’s fellow New Zealander Penney vented his frustration that Munster’s interprovincial rival was allowed to operate a recruitment policy different to the other three Irish teams.

Leinster, Munster and Ulster are, like Connacht, funded primarily by rugby’s governing body in Ireland but the trio are bound by the IRFU’s player succession policy, which is designed to limit Non-Irish Qualified (NIQ) players to one per position across those three provinces.

Unveiled in December 2011 and introduced for new signings last summer, Leinster, Munster and Ulster must have their NIQ signings approved by the IRFU by that criteria whereas Connacht, perennially the weakest of the quartet, do not.

Asked for his thoughts on Connacht’s signing of Muliaina for next season, Penney, who will quit Munster at the end of this season, took aim at what he perceives as an inequality in recruitment policies.

“Having been here for a couple of years, the frustration is around their ability to fund those new recruits,” Penney said of Connacht.

“What’s it doing for Irish rugby? All the other provinces are obligated to have X amount or limited players at their disposal in terms of overseas or ineligible (for Ireland) players, except Connacht who have obviously got a bit of a hand-up.

“They need a bit of a hand-up, but let’s keep it real. There is a lot of work going on in the other three unions, Connacht seem to get it a little easier.

“If they’re able to recruit players at the level they’ve signed, I’d just wonder if it’s the right thing for Irish rugby. There are a lot of good Irish lads who are just not getting access, we’ve got some in our environment and I’m sure Ulster and Leinster have as well.

“There are guys in the English Premiership who would love to be playing in Ireland and they’re Irish eligible.

“I’d just wonder if it is in the best interests of the game, but obviously other people deem that to be the case.”