Shannon buy Halvey from Saracens

SHANNON, the Insurance Corporation All Ireland League champions, yesterday reached agreement with English League first division club Saracens for the release of international flanker Eddie Halvey. He will play for Shannon against Young Munster in the league at Tom Clifford Park this afternoon. Shannon had to pay compensation of well in excess of £5,000, but less than £10,000, to Saracens for Halvey's release.

One might reasonably categorise this as the first transfer fee paid by an Irish club, under the new professional order. Halvey moved to Saracens last season and signed a contract with the club. He then returned to Limerick and rejoined Shannon at the start of this season, but Saracens continued to hold his contract and were adamant that he would not be released until Shannon agreed to pay compensation. In effect, Shannon have bought out the contract. Halvey's registration was lodged with the IRFU yesterday.

The IRFU committee yesterday ruled that Ireland A second row Shane Leahy, who is moving to Limerick next month to take up a business appointment and is joining Garryowen from Lansdowne, cannot play for Garryowen until he terminates his employment in Dublin and takes up permanent residence in Limerick. Consequently Leahy is a still a Lansdowne player.

Leahy trained with Garryowen on Wednesday night and Lansdowne coach Donal Spring said yesterday: "Because of the disruption to training during the week and the uncertainty that obtained, Shane will sit on the bench this afternoon when we play Dungannon."

Under the new replacement laws, Lansdowne, can, of course, bring the player in during the course of the game and they probably will. And Spring made it very clear that the player will be considered on his merits for the other league matches prior to Christmas and his departure to Limerick.

The IRFU also blocked the move of Connacht second row forward Graham Heaslip from Galwegians to Cork Constitution. Heaslip, an army officer whose unit is based in Fermoy, is, however, a final year student at UCG, and therefore his present base is Galway. He therefore does riot come into the category of a player moving location from one area to another and is consequently not entitled to change clubs after the registration date for digibility in the AIL. He will therefore stay with Galwegians.

The AIL sub committee of the union discussed the cases of Leahy and Healsip on Thursday but did not give a ruling and referred the matter to the full committee of the IRFU, who made their decisions yesterday.

The debates in relation to so many aspects of the league have been animated and at times contentious. The clubs have made their preparations and, thankfully, the focus will be very much on the field of play this afternoon when the first series of matches in all four divisions take place. The first issue decided has been the third division encounter between UCD and Trinity - the Colours match last week, which UCD won, carried league points.