MUNSTER HAVE CONFIRMED that 12 players have signed contract extensions with the province.

John Ryan, Niall Scannell, Rory Scannell, Darren Sweetnam, Jack O’Donoghue, JJ Hanrahan, Alex Wootton, Rhys Marshall, Fineen Wycherley, Calvin Nash, Arno Botha and Jeremy Loughman have all signed on the dotted line.

Prop forward Ryan will add to his 130 Munster appearances for a further three years, while Scannell brothers Niall and Rory have signed on for a further two along with Sweetnam, O’Donoghue, Hanrahan, Wootton, Marshall and youngsters Wycherley and Nash.

South African back-row recruit Botha and front-row prospect Loughman will remain in red until June 2020.

The former has scored two tries in nine appearances since arriving from London Irish in the summer, while former Leinster academy man Loughman made his first start against Zebre in the Pro14 last month.

“Great that guys want to stay at Munster,” said head coach Johann van Graan at the province’s UL training base today, “guys want to contribute guys who believe in our dream that we have here.

“I said from the beginning that it’s important that people are happy and the fact that so many guys have already re-signed shows that they’re happy.

Quite a long way to go in the contracting process as well, quite a few guys that we still need to get over the line but in terms of the 12 guys that have signed on, brilliant. If you look at the quality within that 12, it’s a real positive sign for the future and most importantly, most of them are coming through our own system.

“That’s what this club is built on and it’s community and respect, not only for the jersey, but the club and supporters around them. It’s important that we keep that going as well.”

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