Red trio ink deals

Munster have agreed two-year contracts with James Cronin, John Ryan and Cathal Sheridan that will see the trio stay with the province until the summer of 2016.

The highly-rated youngsters have all made telling contributions for the RaboDirect Pro12 leaders over the last two campaigns and coach Rob Penney believes their development is a testament to the work being done by the academy.

“It’s great to have these young guys commit their talent and future to Munster,” Penney said. “It just shows once again the hard work being done at grass-roots and underage level for guys of this calibre to break through, and it’s great for the province.”