Pucciariello And Sheahan Sign Up For More

Federico Pucciariello and Frank Sheahan have completed negotiations with Munster that will see them both extend their contracts for a further two years.

And in both cases the decision to remain wasn’t a difficult one to make and comes at a time when both are in a particularly good vein of form. Sheahan returned to the Munster side at the start of this season having missed most of last with a neck injury sustained in the opening Heineken Cup game against Sale Sharks. That injury cost him his place in the international set up and a place in the Heineken Cup winning squad but the Cork man who will celebrate his 31st birthday in August has started in 15 of Munster’s 19 games this season.

“Given where I was even this time last year, struggling to get over injury, I am delighted I was in a position to be looking at extending my cotract.” Sheahan commented, ” Now that that’s done I can concentrate on my rugby and look forward to what’s ahead of us.”

Sheahan made his debut for Munster in November 1996 against Western Samoa in Musgrave Park. Since then he has been capped 128 times by Munster. He made his international debut as a replacement against the United States during the summer of 2000 and in February 2001. He started his first international against Romania in June 2001and scored the first of five international tries against Samoa later that season.

Pucciariello will celebrate his 32nd birthday in June and like Sheahan had little difficulty in making up his mind to stay, “For me, Munster is the best club of my career. I am very happy here and so is my wife and son . So, no, it wasn’t difficult to decide to stay. Very easy in fact. This is a great team. There are so many great players here, I am delighted to stay.”

The former Italian international joined Munster from Bourgoin and made his first start in Munster colours in the pre-season friendly against Leicester Tigers in August 2005. This season he has been the model of consistency, involved in 18 of Munster’s 19 games bringing his total number of appearances in a Munster shirt to 42.