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Former Ireland and Ulster centre Stuart Olding's new club confirmed

Stuart Olding

Stuart Olding has finally confirmed his new club after a reported move to Sale Sharks collapsed.

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He has signed a two-year deal with French club Brive, who will be in the second tier of French rugby next season.

The former Ulster man has been looking for a new club since Ulster and the IRFU terminated his contract following the high-profile court case surrounding him and provincial and international teammate Paddy Jackson.

The pair had believed to have been close to signing with Sale in the Premiership, but there was a significant backlash from fans and sponsors alike and neither deal went ahead.

Rumours over his signing ramped up after local newspaper Midi Olympique reported that Olding has visited the facilities at Brive and is on very good terms with incoming coach Jeremy Davidson.

A statement on the club website said:

“CA Brive is pleased to announce the signatures of Stuart Olding, centre, and Otar Giorgadze, backrow, for the next two seasons.”

“Stuart Olding, 25, started his career as a professional player at Ulster in 2011. Selected with the U-20s from Ireland to play in a World Cup and a 6 Nations Tournament, he then has four selections with the (senior) XV of Ireland. Versatile player, he evolves in the centre and can also cover the back. He will continue his career in Brive for the next two seasons.”

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Davidson is a former Ulster second-row who has spent the last seven years in France and has impressed in coaching roles with both Aurillac and Bordeaux. It was announced earlier this month that Davidson would take charge at Brive for the 2018/19 season, signing a three-year contract with the now Pro D2 club.

With Davidson’s Belfast connection and at least one season to be spent down in the Pro D2 and away from the media spotlight, is likely to have helped Olding make the decision.

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J
JW 1 hour ago
Scott Robertson explains the new halves pairing for the All Blacks ahead of France

More indecision and excuses from Razor.


You've given a spot at 6 to Finau whom you haven't even had the courage to use off the bench in the last two games. Now the young enforcer is going into a big much with no rugby, we should expect a similar result to how Aumua struggled to impact a game after he'd hardly been given any chances of the bench either.


Weve now dropped a back three player who also wasn't even given any game time off the bench for someone coming in cold when they really need to have been playing constantly to perform at their best. There are just so many better pictures that should have been present rather than this mickey mouse selection.


I really hope Finau can overcome this, it won't be the first time he's had to. How is the bench even made up? Could you not just have included these changes in the article as well? I actually like BB coming back in, it highlights how courageous he is after sitting out through another concussion that could just as easily sent him back into months of symptoms again.


Dmac was also off his game last week, as was Ratima, with the poor platform Razor and his team have been setting the players up with. He needs to freedom to clear his mind from the clutter that saw him make so many bad decisions last week. It will still probably be a net loss for the team performance not having him on from the start but it should be better for them in the long run if he's allowed to just come on late and play his game trying to claw things back for the team.


With Roigard starting that might prove an outlet for the team to actually get on top first however. Along with Ardie busting a gut in his new role and emptying the tank by halftime, and being replaced by another new star, might mean that Dmac is just icing on the cake at the end.

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