RUGBY NEWS ROUND-UP:THE CONFUSION of where Munster's Paul Warwick will play his rugby next year continues. London Irish are adamant the 28-year-old Australian outhalf and fullback has signed papers with them to play for the next two seasons in the Guinness Premiership. They say they have his signature and that is the end of the matter.

“Paul signed a contract on January 13th to play two seasons with London Irish starting in July of this year,” said an Exiles spokesman.

“As far as we are concerned it is straight forward and in addition we would never announce a player had signed for the club if it was not the case. Paul Warwick put pen to paper and we have a legal contract for that.

“We are not the sort of club who would announce this sort of thing if it was not the case. In fact we are usually pretty pedantic about such matters.”

Munster are officially keeping quiet on the issue but there appears to be a growing human dimension to the story. No one has disputed that Warwick has signed for London Irish but nor has anyone denied that Warwick has also changed his mind about where he wants to play.

Uprooting his wife and family to move to a different house and school in a different country is, according to Munster sources, contrary to his current wishes.

He has signed but he doesn’t want to go.

Munster say that he is still their player and that the IRFU hold his registration but just how Warwick found himself in the position to feel that he had to sign for London Irish is still unexplained. It is known he was in discussion with both clubs and, apparently verbally accepted a Munster offer for another two years. So where does that leave the issue?

It has been pointed out that when Munster signed Doug Howlett it was done subject to Howlett being released by New Zealand Rugby and getting a work visa. Similarly Warwick’s move would require similar bureaucratic choreography. But whether that could hinder the move, whether Warwick would want to go to London now under such circumstances, or, whether London Irish would want a player that would prefer to stay in Munster is unknown.

It appears to be an issue that Munster and London Irish must work out between themselves and that could now be costly.

Is there any going back on this contract, the London Irish spokesman was asked? “Well,” he said with an air of finality. “He’s already put pen to paper.”