JERRY SEXTON, THE younger brother of Ireland and Leinster out-half Johnny, has signed for the Guinness Pro14′s Southern Kings.
The 26-year-old will join the South African side this summer on a three-year contract, having spent the last two seasons with Jersey Reds in the English Championship.
Sexton, who is currently captain of the Reds, can look forward to the prospect of facing home province Leinster in the Pro14 next season.
The 118kg, 6ft 5ins second row played underage rugby for Leinster and had a spell with French side Auch before featuring in the Premiership with Exeter and London Irish, as well as playing a season in the Championship with the Exiles.
Sexton, a former Ireland U20 international, moved to Jersey in 2017 and has been ever-present in their second row since, showing superb form in the second tier of English rugby.
“This is an exciting period in my career,” said Sexton of signing for the Kings.
“I have been following the Isuzu Southern Kings, particularly in the Guinness Pro14, and I am looking forward to being part of the team, the culture and the exciting new era that lies ahead for the franchise.
“I am grateful for the years spent at Jersey Reds and the role the club played in the growth of my career. I look forward to further growth and making a positive contribution at the Isuzu Southern Kings.”
The Kings joined the Pro14 at the start of last season but have so far won only three games over their first two seasons.
However, with new ownership having recently taken over, the South African franchise has high hopes of strengthening its squad ahead of the 2019/20 campaign and the addition of Sexton is an indicator of that.
“It is part of our ambitious plan to bring quality players to assist us to reach our goal of becoming a world-class side, and the inclusion of individuals like Jerry will bolster this process,” said Kings’ director of high performance, Robbi Kempson.
“Jerry will join us in our pre-season preparations ahead of the start of the 2019/20 Guinness Pro14 season. His contract with us will run until the end of June 2022.”
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