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Sean O'Brien would have stayed at Leinster for just £112k a year

Sean O'Brien om the charge against Toulouse

Sean O’Brien would have stayed at Leinster for just £112k a year, the Irish flanker has suggested.

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In a wide ranging interview with Peter O’Reilly in Sunday Times, O’Brien admits his reluctance to leave his his home province and the club he has played all his professioanl rugby with.

As first reported RugbyPass in February, the Carlow born backrow will join London Irish on a three-year deal, on a reported salary of £450k, as they look to re-establish themselves in the Premiership in 2019/20.

However, O’Brien comments suggest he wanted to stay at Leinster and would have done for a fraction of the what he will be paid at the London based club.

‘If I was offered a quarter of the money I’m getting going to London Irish to here, I would have stayed. That was the case, but I’m going to grab the opportunity with both hands, obviously, and do whatever I can over there.’

This suggests that whatever was on the table from the IRFU and Leinster, if an offer was made, was less than £112,000 per annum (€131,000).

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‘Would I say now that I’d be bitter? No, I’m not bitter because I get the business decision,’ he said. ‘While I mightn’t agree with them, I still get them. That’s life.’

O’Brien’s final years at Leinster have been dogged by numerous injuries, with the flanker making just 22 appearances in the last three seasons.

The 32 year old is one of Leinster’s most decorated players, having come through the Leinster Academy system and having played 122 times for Leinster since his debut in September 2008 against the Cardiff Blues.

In his time at Leinster he was part of the PRO12 winning squads in 2008, 2013 and 2014 as well as the Guinness PRO14 win last season.

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He has four Heineken Champions Cup medals, starting in the Heineken Cup Finals of 2011 and 2012, and also a Challenge Cup medal in 2013.

Off the back of these impressive performances in the blue of Leinster, he was named European Player of the Year in 2011.

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J
JW 1 hour ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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