Paddy Jackson will be playing with London Irish next season

The former Ulster outhalf will join the likes of Sean O'Brien, Napolioni Nalaga and Aussie trio Sekope Kepu, Nick Phipps and Curtis Rona next season.

Paddy Jackson's move from Perpignan to London Irish has been confirmed by the newly-promoted Premiership side. Jackson, who moved to France after losing his IRFU and Ulster contract in 2018, will join a side that is led by Declan Kidney and coach Les Kiss. Kidney commented:

"Players of the calibre of Paddy Jackson do not become available very often and both myself and Les are looking forward to working with him in the future. "He is a player with proven international quality who we feel will add value to our squad, and it is pleasing that Paddy sees London Irish as a part of his future."

In March 2018, Jackson and former Ulster teammate Stuart Olding were found not guilty of rape and sexual assault of a young woman after a lengthy trial in Belfast. Jackson later apologised for some 'degrading and ­offensive' WhatsApp messages about the woman involved in said case. [caption id="attachment_110779" align="aligncenter" width="647"] (©INPHO/James Crombie)[/caption] Jackson, who won the last of his 25 Ireland caps in June 2017, is excited to be making the move to England. He said:

"I’m delighted to be joining London Irish next season at such an exciting and pivotal time for everyone involved with the club. "London Irish have a clear vision for where they want to be and I look forward to being part of it."

The move has clearly been in the works for a number of months as it was first reported by The Telegraph back in January.