James Ryan has signed a new three-year deal with the IRFU, the central contract will keep the Leinster lock in the Irish setup until 2023.
Ryan made his Ireland debut at just 20 years of age coming off the bench against the USA in the 2017 summer tour. He scored his first international try within a minute of taking to the pitch.
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What a moment for @leinsterrugby youngster James Ryan! Try with his 1st touch in International Rugby! pic.twitter.com/8bfi2f9jqm— eir Sport (@eirSport) June 10, 2017
The St Michaels second row has gone on to become a fixture in the Irish pack winning 24 caps including four starts in Ireland’s Grand Slam Six Nations campaign of 2018. He played every minute of the three-test tour of Australia.
Ryan, who captained the Ireland U20s to the final of the 2016 World Rugby U20 Championships in Manchester, made his senior Leinster debut against the Dragons in September 2017.
Rise
With his province, Ryan has won a Heineken European Champions Cup and two Guinness PRO14 titles. The second-row has made 37 appearances for Leinster scoring two tries.
The rise of Ryan has been staggering, managing to go through almost his entire first season as a professional without experiencing defeat.
IRFU High-Performance Director, David Nucifora is understandably impressed by Ryan and said, "James is still a young man but he has delivered consistent high-level performances for both Ireland and Leinster. He is growing into a leadership role with the national team and has a big future for both Ireland and Leinster."
The player himself added, "I am delighted to sign an IRFU contract. A lot has been packed into the start of my professional career with both Ireland and Leinster and there has been some great success and a few disappointments but I am involved in two very exciting squads that want to be challenging for trophies."
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