IRFU tie up O’Driscoll for two more years

BRIAN O’DRISCOLL will become the highest paid player in the history of Irish rugby after rejecting overtures from French and English clubs to agree a new two-year contract with the IRFU and Leinster.

The deal was confirmed yesterday evening by his father and agent, Frank, who held five intensive meetings with the powers at Lansdowne Road over the past few months.

Reports of a completed deal had been doing the circuits early yesterday afternoon, but according to O’Driscoll Snr, a final agreement satisfying both parties was only reached about tea-time.

The deal will tie O’Driscoll to the IRFU until the end of the 2005/6 rugby season, earning him an estimated salary of 250,000 per annum.

“We’re very happy with the deal we’ve worked out with the IRFU,” said the father of the Irish captain shortly after concluding the new two-year contract. “The overall package we worked out is excellent and I must say that I’m very satisfied thatby things have worked out.

"I have the greatest respect for the way that the IRFU approached these talks. They were great to deal with and their approach was extremely professional. It’s a satisfying agreement for both parties. I’m very happy.”

O’Driscoll Snr confirmed that a number of foreign clubs had expressed interest in signing his son, including a number of cross-channel rugby league clubs. However, O’Driscoll’s eventual decision came down purely to rugby matters rather than any financial considerations.

“Money isn’t everything,” said O’Driscoll Snr. “There’s no use having all the money in the world if you’re not fit enough to play proper rugby. That was one of the biggest considerations in the whole thing. There were a number of offers on the table from England and France and even some from rugby league.

"But the fact was that Brian didn’t want to be overexposed to too much rugby and that helped him to make his decision at the end of the day. In France now they’re talking about changing the format of the league to increase the number of games.

“At the moment the championship is split into two groups of eight but now they’re talking about having just one group of 16 teams playing on a home and away basis.

"That’s 30 league games, then you consider another six in the Heineken Cup and probably eight internationals suddenly you’re looking at over 40 games of rugby a season.

"A figure like that is just madness. No rugby player will survive for long in that set-up and Brian’s not going to be overexposed like that under his new IRFU deal.”

O’Driscoll’s coach at Leinster, Gary Ella, was the first to welcome news of the contract. “It’s great news for Leinster and for Irish rugby as a whole.

"We can really start our planning for next year now that Brian has decided to stay with us. He’s one of the best players in his position in world rugby and I’m delighted he’s opted to stay and play his rugby in Ireland.”