JEAN KLEYN HAS reaffirmed his intention to play international rugby for Ireland after signing a three-year contract extension with Munster.
The 25-year-old second row joined the southern province from the Stormers in 2016 and becomes eligible to represent Ireland under World Rugby residency rules in September 2019 — weeks before the start of the World Cup in Japan.
Kleyn’s new deal will see him under contract at Munster until June 2022, and upon announcing his commitment to the province, the South African-born lock spoke about his aspirations to play at the highest level.
“Every rugby player has an aspiration to play at the highest level and I mean the way Ireland are playing now, they are the highest level so if I could possibly make the team on merit I would love to play,” he said.
“It’s an opportunity I would relish. But I’ve always said it, my commitment lies with Munster at the minute. Focusing on what’s here now, think about the international stuff later.”
Kleyn made his Munster debut in September 2016 and has since made 42 appearances in red, scoring six tries. The second row was consistently excellent for Johann van Graan’s side last season, starting 23 times in the Munster engine room.
“I came over here two years ago with the intent of trying to make my mark on Munster and now I’ve got another three year opportunity and I’m delighted,” he added.
“I’ve been treated exceptionally well by the club. I have my house and I have my dogs, I’m happy as I can be. I really enjoy playing rugby here, and that makes life so much better.”
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Tis great there are so many Irish men in South Africa , who’d have known
Good stuff from Munster. Would be a great option to have for Ireland, certainly has the physicality for international rugby.
This new residency rule can’t come in quickly enough, 1/2 fine but there could be a sizeable increase in the number of non Irish in the 23/31 in the next 1-2 years which wd be absolutely ludicrous (not picking on this example but I wd be disappointed if he was included in the WC squad in any case)
@Andrew Hurley: They’ve been saying that for the best part of a decade and it’s never come to pass. It’s journo’s fear mongering to a certain demographic in search of clicks
@Andrew Hurley: People have fretted about this for years but I think the fears are over-stated; both optimistic on the quality of the projects and pessimistic on the quality of the Irish players developed locally. Take Kleyn as an example – to get in the side he will have to get ahead of James Ryan, Toner, Henderson and Beirne, let alone any new guys who might emerge. If he is better than these four, I would want to see him in the side. More likely, in my view, he will be competing with Quinn Roux on the fringes of the squad
@Andrew Hurley: 1 or 2 isn’t fine. 0 is fine. I don’t know how you can accept 2 but not 8. Those selected are there and we can’t change that. I wish we’d stop this now.
@Kevin Ryan: Apologies for posting this as others have made the same point while I was thinking about it
@grandslamkbo: Why would 0 be fine? For me international teams should be in the image of the countries they represent and aspirational for the youth of that country. That’s why having guys from across the board is important be they Rory Best representing young protestants in Northern Ireland, Keith Earls representing kids growing up on housing estates, Sam Arnold representing Irish kids born overseas, Josh van der Flier representing the offspring of immigrants and lads like Bundee Aki representing the many immigrants in the country. That’s what will make the Irish team greater and grow the sport. I personally don’t like the “project player” programme as a practice but these lads have served their time and have the same right to play for the Irish team as anyone else.
@buck turgidson: they’re already there, we’ve got a women’s team haven’t we, and the same Exiles system in place. Also players like Sene Naoupu who came to Galway because her hubby was playing for Connacht, set up a business and then started playing for Galwegians ladies. She got capped for Connacht, then Ireland Women & 7′s and since they moved back from London after George’s two seasons with Quins now lives in Dublin and plays for Old Belvo & Leinster and Ireland. She has still got an absolutely huge network of friends in Galway after six or seven years living there. I’m very proud to have this lovely woman wear the jersey of my country, she absolutely represents on and off the pitch everything good about modern Ireland…
While it’s wonderful news that Munster have persuaded him to sign a three year extension it’s very unlikely to be on the back of any promises of inclusion in the World Cup squad for 2019. At the moment he would rank after Ryan, Henderson, Toner, Beirne, Dillane, and Roux in the line for a cap.
@David Finn: I’m not sure. He is a better player than Roux and Dillane that’s for sure.
If he spent the summer in camp with Ireland he could make the WC squad.
Imagine him and Ryan in the Irish second row together.
Frightening!
@Oran Burns: Dillane on his day is just as good as most contenders for the position, he just needs a decent run of games to get some form together. James Ryan and Henderson have proven themselves outstanding players at the top level but after that Dillane is well in the chasing pack.
@Oran Burns: I’m not sure his ceiling is as high as that Oran. Quality provincial player, but his handling would need to improve to make Irish squads.
@Oran Burns: Not a hope of him replacing Henderson and lacks the versatility to be a bench option like Beirne. I would say at best he could compete with Roux and Dillane in the B squad when playing Tier 2 nations.
This residency farce needs to end. Go play with the Boks if you’re international standard. The Irish team will be like a United Colors of Benetton advert at this rate
@John Swan: Jesus will you give it a break. With 1st choice selection for Schmidt, Ireland would have 1 perhaps 2 players born outside Ireland in Stander and Aki out of 15, and perhaps another 1 or 2 on the bench with Carbury and maybe Roux. 4 out of 23 contrasts with the likes of NZ, Australia, or France very positively.
@Dave O’Shaughnessy: 1 or 2 too many in my opinion. Plenty of home grown talent without needing these mercenaries/journey men
@John Swan: yeah and if so, will represent the make-up of the countries population. There’s a word for attitudes like yours….and I’m not thinking old fashioned..
@John Swan: It has already ended…. now takes 5 years to qualify through citizenship (and if a player waits that long and goes through the citizen process then they deserve to play for Ireland).
Having said that, Ireland can only play by the rules that govern them….. just like every other tier 1, tier 2 or tier 3 nation. Think about the number of Irish born players with international caps for USA or Canada who would never have played international rugby otherwise. Without IQ or residency players, Ireland could not have climbed out of the international gutter over the last 20 years.
Now that we have a top class youth’s system the change to the rules will benefit Ireland more than the other nations…. and while I welcome the change, I also welcome every player who qualifies and wants to playbfor Ireland.
@ℝ: I don’t care if they’re black, white, yellow or polka dot once they’re born and bred here. Hope that’s cleared it up for you precious.
@John Swan: What if they moved here as kids, were born to Irish parents overseas or born here to foreign parents and spent their whole lives overseas?
@Eddie Hekenui: one thing moving and being rared here as kids. Guys coming here in their 20’s should play for their country of origin. Have these men so pride/loyalty
@John Swan: You only answered one part of my question. And if you’re going on about these guys lacking pride and loyalty you clearly have very little idea of the immigrant experience. Do you think pride or loyalty to a place is just something you’re just born with that can’t be earned or gained? Many immigrants have more pride for and loyalty to the place they moved than people who spent their whole lives there.
@Eddie Hekenui: couldn’t agree more. Typical small minded, parochial and xenophobic ideas of nationality from soMe corners!
@Dave O’Shaughnessy:
Ah here, you can’t call carbery a foreign player when his mother is Irish and he left New Zealand when he was 11. He lived in Ireland for most of his life. He is more irish than kiwi. He played here since u12s lol.
@Peter Vincent: xenophobic would ya stop. Rugby these days is a complete farce. So called fans couldn’t give a toss about the grassroots yet drool at the thought of Boks/Kiwis lining out in green. These guys are here for the bucks, you’re deluded if you think otherwise.
@Eddie Hekenui: immigrant experience my arse! You’d swear these guys came from hardship. These guys were essentially not good enough for their country of birth and see us as plan b. Twist it whatever you like
Great news. He’s a top level lock and it’s great that he’s committed for that length of time. At 25 years old he’s got a good future ahead of him in both red and green.
@Jim Demps: easy Jim. Green? Jean is not moving to Connacht is he?
@David Finn: you don’t think he’ll play for Ireland?
An important re-signing for Munster. In a squad that lacks big second rows, Kleyn gives the team the height and power that they lack elsewhere in the squad at the set-piece.
Class player, but imo he’s behind Ryan, Toner, Henderson, beirne, Roux. He’s competing with dillane if anything, dillane has a point to prove. Hasn’t been a world beater over the last 2 seasons. All hose players have been in camp too, so they’ve been around long enough to know how joes systems. Kleyn hasn’t had any experience internationally yet. Not even even a training camp.