Wednesday 25 March 2015 10:59, UK
London Irish have signed English-born lock forward Matt Symons from Super Rugby side Waikato Chiefs.
The 25-year-old moved to New Zealand in 2012 after a stint in the Saracens youth set-up, as well as spending time in the Great Britain rowing programme.
He was selected for Canterbury in the 2013 ITM Cup winning squad, becoming a regular in the side before signing in 2014 for the two-time Super Rugby champions.
Symons has spent time working with incoming Exiles coach Tom Coventry and he is looking forward to continuing their relationship.
Symons said: “It was a really tough decision to leave one of the best Super Rugby teams in the competition but the opportunities that London Irish offered and the chance to return home were very compelling.
"The new coaching set up at London Irish is exciting. I had made my decision before they had established the management team, but having worked with Tom Coventry at the Chiefs I know he will be a massive asset to London Irish.”
The club's operations director Bob Casey added: “Matt is an incredible athlete. He has size, mobility, work rate and is joining from a world class set up at the Chiefs.
"He is a natural born leader who is the right age and a player we believe will be a key figure in leading this Club onto bigger and better things. Matt is a player we have targeted for some time and both Glenn Delaney and Nick Kennedy have played a key role in attracting him to the club.”
