DANIEL BRENNAN, the son of former Ireland international Trevor, has secured a place in France’s prestigious academy system based in Marcoussis, close to Paris.
The FFR [Fédération Française de Rugby] this morning confirmed the list of names in the latest intake into their U19 ‘Pôle France’, comprising 23 of the most highly-rated young players in the country.
The fact that Toulouse second row Brennan has made the class of 2015/16 at this level despite still being only 16 underlines the esteem in which he is held and the impression he has made on French underage rugby.
Brennan recently made his debut for France at U17 level against the USA in a Marcoussis-hosted tournament, going on to captain the side to a 28-26 win over England later in the same competition.
The gigantic lock’s performances for France U17s as well as with his club side Toulouse have convinced the FFR to fast track him into this year’s U19 academy intake.
Daniel, who turns 17 in September, first came to the attention of the French media back in 2013, when he was already standing at 6ft 2ins and weighing 121kg at the age of 14. Having grown since, the young second row is a formidable physical specimen.
Brennan came very close to French honours last year, only for injury to deprive him of the chance to be capped. The powerful lock then came through the lengthy selection process this season to secure his U17 place and thrive for that side.
Brennan and the other U19 academy intake will convene at the world-class Centre Nationale de Rugby in Marcoussis on 30 June to undergo strength and conditioning testing and receive their training programmes for July.
That process will then continue throughout the 2015/16 season as Brennan and the other players combine their regular club duties with regular visits to the CNR for testing and focused training sessions.
The future looks bright for the son of Trevor Brennan, himself a legend at Toulouse and a man who made 12 appearances for Ireland. Clearly, there’s something in the genes.
