Leinster Rugby have confirmed that outhalf/inside centre will be leaving the province at the end of the year, and will be joining Bordeaux- Begles in the Top 14.
BREAKING: @ian_madigan to leave Leinster Rugby #ThanksMads https://t.co/o1NTDw68lb pic.twitter.com/bkI3tS9TML
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) December 28, 2015
26-year-old Madigan has signed a two-year deal with the Top 14 club, or whether he will be available for international duty from next season. Leo Cullen has wished Madigan well on his departure, and hopes that he will return to Leinster at some point in the future.
What also is unclear is whether Leinster will be looking to replace him with an international signing given the re-signing of Johnny Sexton, and the emergence of Cathal Marsh and Ross Byrne who are coming through looking for gametime.
Madigan released a statement on the Leinster rugby website:
While this was a very difficult decision for me to make, leaving the club that I have represented my whole professional life, I feel that the timing is right and it is a challenge that I'm looking forward to.
Madigan's move will be a bitter pill to swallow for the IRFU, who were looking to keep Madigan in Irish rugby and better spread their resources around the four provinces. For Madigan, it should be a good learning experience for him getting first team rugby for the first time in his career, and he will be joining up with the likes of Adam Ashley-Cooper in the south of France.
It's the second high profile departure from the province after Ben Te'o's move to Worcester was confirmed.
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