Leinster set to sign Irish-qualified South African back row Neill

LEINSTER ARE SET to sign the highly-rated South African back row Josh Neill to their academy.

The South Africa U18 international, who is Irish-qualified and has an Irish passport, is due to make his move to Ireland during the upcoming season.

18-year-old Neill has earned a big reputation in his native South Africa thanks to his explosive performances for Rondebosch Boys’ High School and the Western Province U18s.

Neill shone for the South Africa U18 team during the U18 International Series on South African soil this summer, a series in which Ireland featured.

While all four of South Africa’s URC franchises were keen to sign Neill to his first professional contract, The 42 understands that he will make the move to Leinster’s academy in the coming months.

It’s thought that Neill will be immediately eligible to play for Ireland, and he is highly likely to be in contention for the Ireland U20 squad in 2026.

Neill is Irish-qualified through his grandparents. His older brother, Jordan, has already made the move to Irish shores and become a cricket international for Ireland.

South African Schoolboy Rugby / YouTube

Jordan plays cricket for the Munster Reds, featured for the Ireland U19s last year, and made his senior ODI debut against the West Indies in May.

Given the strong family connection to Ireland, it was always likely that Josh Neill would attract interest from Irish rugby and it’s believed he has been monitored by the IRFU’s IQ programme for some time.

Although the residency rule in rugby has changed from the previous three years to five years, the IRFU and its four provinces remain on the lookout for players who have qualifying connections to Ireland and can make moves like the one Neill is now set for.

While his high-level potential meant Neill attracted interest from at least one more of the Irish provinces, as well as the English Premiership, it’s thought that Leinster have won the contest for his signature.

Neill will be joining fellow South Africans Jacques Nienaber and RG Snyman in the Leinster set-up.

While Leinster’s pathways have been churning out talent to their senior team and on into the Ireland squad, the eastern province have not produced as much elite back row talent prospects as in other positions recently. Leinster currently only have one back row in their academy.

As such, Leinster have now seemingly pounced to bring in a player who has generated plenty of excitement in South Africa with his performances in age-grade rugby.

Rondebosch Boys’ in Cape Town, where Neill has impressed, is the same school that former Ireland captain Dion O’Cuinneagain came through before he made the switch to Irish rugby.

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