Peter O'Mahony was announced as the new Ireland rugby captain yesterday, with the 34-year old set to take up the position ahead of this year's Six Nations.
There had been some debate surrounding who would succeed Johnny Sexton in the role, with the outhalf retiring from rugby after last year's World Cup. The likes of James Ryan, Garry Ringrose, and Caelan Doris were also thought to be in the running, although Andy Farrell would ultimately go with the more experienced option.
While there is no doubt about O'Mahony's suitability for the role, some wondered if Farrell would be better served selecting a player who would be around for the full four year cycle ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
Considering the player's age, the decision may also end up being financially beneficial for his team at club level.
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Will Ireland rugby captaincy call save Munster a lot of money?
Peter O'Mahony's current deal expires at the end of the season, with the Cork native finishing up his IRFU central contract this summer.
It has been thought that it was unlikely that he would be offered another deal directly by the IRFU, meaning Munster would be on the hook for his salary if they wanted to retain the player moving forward. Having already had to lose RG Snyman due to some financial restrictions, that could put the province in a difficult position.
However, Bernard Jackman feels that the player's newly confirmed status as Ireland captain could be a factor in discussions moving forward.
Speaking on the RTÉ Rugby Podcast, Jackman said that O'Mahony should be offered a central contract by the IRFU if they want him to remain as captain beyond the 2024 Six Nations. That would mean Munster would not be forced to pay the player's full salary next season if they re-signs with the province.
My understanding is he wants to keep playing, and keep playing for Munster.
Effectively he goes from being a zero-cost player to being a cost. If you're trying to cut your overall budget, contracting players you already had for free is counter-productive.
Is this is a game of chess that Munster are playing, or is it just the situation that they have to manage the books next year? I don't know, but this has changed the whole situation now...
There's an argument that you re-contract him on a central contract. The captain of Ireland should be on a central contract, and he is at the moment, for this Six Nations. If he is going to be captain next year, he should be on a central contract.
If that decision is taken away from Munster, and it's done by the IRFU, well Munster are going to benefit from Peter O'Mahony next season as well.
I'll be shocked if Peter O'Mahony isn't playing for Munster next season if he wants to play, and his body holds up. It's just who pays him now becomes less clear, but it's more probable that he will stay.
You would imagine that Andy Farrell would want Peter O'Mahony remain as Ireland captain for the foreseeable future, meaning a new Munster contract will be a priority for both the player and the IRFU.
Considering the amount of central contracts currently in the Leinster squad, it would seem only fair that they foot the bill for the Irish captain moving forward.
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