THE IRFU AND ULSTER have announced that Tommy Bowe has signed a new three-year deal, keeping him in Ireland until June 2018.
The 30-year-old’s contract had been set to expire at the end of the current season, but the IRFU have followed their recent examples of acting early and decisively to ensure that one of their key international players is not tempted abroad.
A similar three-year contract was confirmed for Rob Kearney on Tuesday.
Bowe has been with home province Ulster since 2012, when he returned from Welsh region the Ospreys after four years as an exile. The 6ft 3ins wing has scored 48 tries for Ulster over the course of his two stints with the province.
A member of Ireland’s 2009 Grand Slam-winning side and a 2014 Six Nations champion under Joe Schmidt, Bowe has racked up 27 tries in 55 international caps, including a memorable effort against South Africa last weekend.
“I am delighted to have signed a new contract with the IRFU and Ulster,” said Bowe of his deal. “It is an exciting time for both the province and the national team and I hope to play a part in achieving success on both fronts in the years to come.”
The IRFU’s Performance Director, David Nucifora, who has been the key figure in the organisation’s increasingly proactive approach to re-contracting players, also welcomed the conclusion of negotiations.
We are delighted that Tommy has committed his future to Ulster and Ireland for the next three years. Tommy has proven his value to Irish rugby over the years with stand-out performances for both Ulster and Ireland.”
With the likes of Kearney, Sean O’Brien, Johnny Sexton and Jamie Heaslip having signed IRFU deals in 2014, Irish rugby’s governing body will hope to conclude proceedings with Peter O’Mahony and Mike Ross in the coming weeks.
