Rugby: London Irish coach to stay on

London Irish coach Brendan Venter has agreed to stay at the Madejski Stadium until the end of next season.

The former South African international has quashed speculation which suggested he was ready to head home by agreeing to extend his rolling contract with the ambitious Zurich Premiership outfit.

Irish officials will be delighted to have tied Venter down to at least another year and will hope to extend his stay even further after an impressive first full season at the club.

Under Venter’s charge, Irish - who gambled by leaving the capital for Reading in 2000 - have confounded pre-season relegation predictions and are still chasing silverware on three fronts.