Munster sign James Downey

Munster have announced today that Northampton Saints centre James Downey will be joining them at the end of the current season.

30-year-old Downey, who had a previous stint with Munster back in 2006/2007, joined Northampton Saints at the start of the 2007/2008 season and quickly established himself as a regular in their match day squad.

In November 2010 he made his 100th appearance for the club and to date has made 135 appearances scoring 12 tries.

A Churchill Cup winner with Ireland in June 2009 he began his career in Leinster before moving to Connacht for two seasons and now returns to Munster on a two-year contract.

Having encountered Northampton Saints several times in recent seasons in the Heineken Cup, McGahan admits he has been impressed by Downey.

"James is a quality player who has been on our radar for some time now," the Munster head coach said.

"We’ve seen at first hand, on several occasions in recent times in the Heineken Cup exactly what he has to offer and believe that his style and his attitude can only enhance our squad."