LONDON IRISH say keeping hold of Ben Franks is a “real statement of intent” from the club.
Franks, who won the World Cup with New Zealand last year, has pledged his future to London Irish despite relegation from the Aviva Premiership.
Experienced prop Franks, 32, made the switch to Madejski Stadium last summer and says he has no plans to move on with two years still left on his contract.
“Once I’d had a few weeks away to clear my mind, my gut feeling was not to miss out on an opportunity and I’m here and ready to work hard,” said Franks.
“I’m excited at the prospect of getting a solid pre-season under my belt mainly because I have not done one for many years.
“The last time I did a pre-season was when I was 23 and I’m 32 now.
“Being an All Black you don’t get the opportunity to do a full summer programme.”
This comes as welcome news for London Irish after fellow forward Matt Symons decided to leave the club earlier this week to join Wasps.
Franks, who has 45 caps for New Zealand, missed a large chunk of his debut season in England through injury and head of rugby operations Glenn Delaney is delighted he has decided to stay.
“Ben is a world class player,” he said.
“His experience in the pack will be vital as we look to make an immediate return to the Premiership.
“We have a number of exciting young talent coming through the ranks at present and his experience and knowhow both on and off the field will be invaluable.”
“It’s a real statement of intent and underlines the ambition of the club and the owners.”
The following players have joined London Irish for the 2016-17 season: Sebastian De Chaves (Leicester Tigers), Dave Porecki (Saracens), Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi (Northampton), Ollie Hoskins (Western Force), Max Northcote-Green (Bath), Tommy Bell (Leicester), Mike Coman (Edinburgh), James Marshall (Hurricanes).
