Rugby League star Carney joins Munster

Former Great Britain rugby league winger Brian Carney switched codes tonight by signing a two-year contract with European rugby union champions Munster.

The 30-year-old former Wigan favourite returned to his native Cork to resurrect his career after announcing his retirement two months ago.

Munster confirmed his capture after arranging a compensation deal with Australian rugby league club Gold Coast, with whom Carney had agreed a two-year deal, and was immediately added to their squad for the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup.

“It’s really a tremendous honour to be signed up by a club like Munster,” Carney told the club’s website www.munsterrugby.ie.

“My first objective is to get into that Munster side and become a player that the players want in the team.

“To do that I know I have a lot of hard ahead of me. But I’m prepared to knuckle down and see how things progress.

“Knowing the history of the club, it is a huge honour and I hope I can become a part of a winning successful side.”

The autumn World Cup is an obvious incentive for Carney, who is expected to be fast-tracked onto Ireland’s summer tour to Argentina but has precious little time to adapt to a game he last played regularly at the same school as centre Gordon D’Arcy.

Munster coach Declan Kidney said: “Given the injury situation in relation to Shaun Payne, Mossie Lawlor and Anthony Horgan, I think it’s particularly opportune to acquire someone of Brian’s stature and experience for the end-of-season matches in Magners League and Heineken Cup.”

The one-time Gaelic footballer was spotted playing rugby league for a Dublin students team by Gateshead in 1999 and went on to play for Hull and Wigan before moving to Australian club Newcastle Knights last season.

He played for Ireland in the 2000 World Cup and won the last of his 14 Great Britain caps in their 23-12 win over Australia in Sydney in November.