Offaly captain Ciarán McManus is set to embark on a new sporting career for the winter months. McManus trained with Buccaneers Rugby Club on Tuesday evening and impressed team management in his first run-out, and trained again last night.

"Ciarán came down for a run-out and did quite well," said coach John McKee. "He's keen to get out and play a bit of rugby this winter so we'll see how he gets on. Ciarán's played a bit of rugby when he studied at UCD. He played some rugby on the wing there. But, looking at his size and physique, I think he'd be a good back row.

"He'll certainly be playing somewhere if he keeps coming along. I reckon he could be a valuable addition to our AIL League squad," said the Kiwi boss.

McManus - in the news this week after being overlooked by Leinster manager Luke Dempsey ahead of Saturday's Interprovincial final in Paris - enjoyed his first taste of the game.

"It's good fun and I suppose it's something to help me stay fit over the winter," said McManus.

The club is an amalgamation of Athlone and Ballinasloe, and train in Athlone, not too far from McManus's home in Tubber across the Offaly border.

"It's something I've wanted to do for a while and I suppose now's a good a time as any to give it a go. The first night was all ball work, which for someone like me was the best thing in the world," he said.

McManus will be following in the footsteps of Gaelic football stars David Brady and Graham Geraghty.

Brady, winner of a Mayo senior club medal with Ballina last weekend, played for Galweigans for a number of seasons, while Geraghty played with Buccaneers under McKee.

"I've very little experience," warned McManus. "I trained a couple of times with UCD when I was there but that was more for preparing for the Aussie Rules than anything else."

McManus could make his AIL debut when the Buccaneers take on County Carlow on December 4th in Oak Park, Carlow.