Kearney new Irish team manager

IRELAND added the final piece to Declan Kidney’s new backroom team yesterday with the appointment of Michael Kearney as team manager.

The Lansdowne FC man and former Leinster A and Ireland U20 manager will begin his duties alongside head coach Kidney next week at Ireland’s pre-Six Nations training camp in Limerick, having replaced Paul McNaughton, who stepped down after the World Cup.

“I’m delighted to welcome Michael into the management team and look forward to working with him,” Kidney said.

“The role is an important part of how the team functions and it’s excellent to have someone of his background to bring his organisational skills to the management group.”

Like McNaughton, Kearney has a enjoyed a successful business career in tandem with his sporting one, the 55-year-old Meath native having brought the Snap Printing franchise to Ireland.

In terms of rugby experience, though, Kearney played both at full-back and on the wing for Lansdowne, winning the League in 1976 and Cup in 1981 before a knee injury forced him to quit the sport at 24.

Having returned from a spell in Australia, Kearney spent the 1990s involved as chairman of rugby for Lansdowne before becoming the club’s youngest President in the 1999-2000 season.

From there, he moved into the management of representative teams, serving as team manager for Leinster’s A and U20 teams from 2004, and then for the Ireland U20 team in 2009 which won the Six Nations title in 2010. He continued with the side last season, working closely with Ireland U20 coach Mike Ruddock.

He will now have to work closely with Kidney as he prepares for the RBS 6 Nations opener against Wales at the Aviva Stadium on February 5, joining a backroom team that features forwards coach Gert Smal, defence coach Les Kiss and skills coach Mark Tainton.

“I am obviously delighted to take up the position as well as honoured to be involved with the team,” Kearney said.

“My focus now is to get up to speed and give whatever support is necessary to Declan, the coaches and players for the championship.

“The role is multi-faceted, but I am looking forward to the challenge. The transition is somewhat easier having had the experience of working with the IRFU, who have an incredibly professional staff working around the team, who will I am sure will help me adjust quickly.”