Clolhessy going to Australia

IRELAND international tight-head prop Peter Clohessy yesterday signed a contract with the Queensland Rugby Union and will travel to Australia in January to pursue his career.

The contract is for five months. He expects to come home at the end of May. I understand the contract is worth more than £50,000.

Clohessy, who is suspended until the end of November following an incident in the France-Ireland match last February, joined Garryowen during the summer from Young Munster. He is Young Munster's most capped player having played 16 times for Ireland.

Clohessy had been approached initially last season about moving to Australia by Queensland coach John Connolly, who coached Old Belvedere for much of last season. Connolly had been impressed by Clohessy when he saw him play for Ireland against both Queensland and Australia on Ireland's tour to Australia in 1994 and renewed his interest when he saw Clohessy play in Ireland.

A renewed approach was made some months ago and Clohessy has decided to accept what he sees as a new challenge.

"It was a difficult decision and I had to take my family and business commitments into consideration. My wife Anna fully supports the decision. As you know the offer of a contract was made some time ago and there has been speculation about the possibility of my moving to Australia in recent months but I did not sign the contract until yesterday when I spoke to John Connolly and confirmed my acceptance," Clohessy said.

"I feel that if I did not go I might subsequently regret it. I have great respect for John Connolly and look forward to playing under him. I feel it will do me good to start again in a new environment. It has been hard to be out of the game since last February, but I must put that behind me.

"I shad hoped to play some matches for Garryowen. The terms of the contract are specific in that regard, I cannot play. I have been training on a daily basis and will continue to do that until I travel to Brisbane in January. It is my intention to resume my career in Ireland next season."

With the Insurance Corporation All-Ireland League due to start in the first week in December, Clohessy's period of suspension - 26 playing weeks - will be up almost a month before he travels to Australia. The beneficial extension of last season proved beneficial to Clohessy as it brought his eligibility date forward.

"I said after I was suspended that I accepted the decision, take the punishment but that I had no intention of going out the game that way and would play again. My contract is with the Queensland Union and does not involve a club commitment in Australia," he said.

Queensland have moved Dan Crowley, their international tight head prop, to the loose side and now Clohessy steps in to fill the tight head berth.

Clohessy was on the Munster side that defeated Australia at Musgrave Park in 1992 and subsequently made his international debut against France a few months later.

He was criticised by the then Australian coach Bob Dwyer after the match against Munster. But Dwyer said subsequently during Ireland's tour to Australian that Clohessy was unquestionably one of the best tight head props in the game.