Le Roux and Gomez join Leinster's roster

Leinster contract negotiations: Leinster have confirmed the signings of former South African prop Ollie Le Roux and Argentinian prop Juan Gomez for next season and expect to be in a position to announce the final roster of players within the next two weeks.

Le Roux, who will be 34 next month, won 54 caps for the Springboks, making his debut against England in 1994 and playing his last game against New Zealand in 1999. On Saturday he leads the South African Super 14 side, the Cheetahs, against the Auckland Blues in place of the injured Juan Smith.

The versatile prop, who can also play hooker, will arrive in Ireland on a one-year contract and is seen as someone who can help the development of youngsters like Ireland Under-20 internationals Cian Healy, Ruaidhri Murphy and Jamie Hagan, who have graduated to the Leinster Academy.

Healy has already been included in a senior Leinster squad this season and may see some game time prior to the end of the Magners Celtic League campaign. The intention is to bring all three players through over the next couple of seasons as they develop accordingly.

The 24-year-old Gomez is a noted scrummager and he has agreed to join Leinster after a brief contract with Stade Francais. The French club needed quality frontrow cover after international Sylvain Marconnet broke his leg and so Gomez signed on a short-term deal but will link up with the Irish province this summer.

Le Roux and Gomez join Stephen Knoop and Chris Keane, who will arrive from Connacht, Leo Cullen and Shane Jennings, repatriated from the Leicester Tigers, and Devin Toner, Kevin McLaughlin, Cillian Willis, Jonathan Sexton and Ross McCarron, who have been given senior contracts, having previously been in the Leinster Academy. Cook Islander Stanley Wright has been given a new contract - he arrived on a short term deal - following a series of outstanding displays in the latter part of the season. Negotiations are ongoing with flanker cum second row Cameron Jowitt.

Guy Easterby, Leinster's most capped player in their history, Reggie Corrigan, Will Green and 24-year-old Ciaran Potts all retire at the end of the current campaign. Potts has been unfortunate as he has been dogged by a series of injury problems. Kieran Lewis and Niall Ronan head south to Munster, while Andy Dunne and Lansdowne and former Ireland Under-21 captain and prop John Lyne will link up with Connacht. World Cup winner and former Wallaby Owen Finegan is believed to have been offered a short term contract with the Leicester Tigers.

Leinster will also bid adieu to Harry Vermaas, Adam Byrnes, Des Dillon, Rob Sweeney and Stephen Grissing. The latter pair, who currently play with St Mary's College, may be in line to join Clontarf coach Phil Werahiko, who takes over at Rotherham next season.

Leinster provided the lion's share of the Grand Slam winning Ireland Under-20 side this season and are keen to nurture that talent, a fact illustrated by the arrival of hooker Richard Sweeney (a brother of Robert) in the Academy, where he'll join players like Russian-born wing Vasily Artemiev.

The province is currently choosing players for their sub-academy and that will include players like Ireland Under-20 and Seapoint fullback Felix Jones and Under-19 international Eoin O'Malley.

Work on the new stand at Donnybrook will start on May 8th - Leinster play one final match at the venue against the Border Reivers ahead of the redevelopment - while the province will move into next season's home, the RDS for a September 22nd debut. The Ballsbridge arena received a facelift and promises a new capacity of between, 18,000-18,500.

Meanwhile Ulster have announced that one of the country's most promising young players, Irish U-20 centre Darren Cave, has re-signed a one-year development contract.

Cave admitted: "I am really delighted to have signed for Ulster for one more year. This has been an amazing season for me having moved up from the academy to the senior squad. Being part of the winning Irish U20s is definitely the highlight of my rugby career so far. I am pleased that the contract is signed and now I can continue enjoying playing rugby and being involved with Ulster."