Ireland international joins Oxford

Ireland international forward Matty Hadden has signed for new Championship 1 side Oxford.

Hadden come through the ranks in his home country with Antrim Eels, and has previously caught the eye of Wakefield coach Richard Agar.

He made his Ireland debut against England Knights last season, and represented his country in the one-year to the World Cup event in Manchester last October.

Oxford coach Tony Benson said: “I was alerted to Matty by Wayne Kerr who I coached at Skolars, He played a few games for Ireland A but quickly progressed to the full Ireland team where he played against the England Knights last season. I watched a couple of his games and was very impressed, he has a lot of raw ability, is a powerful player, strong and has lots of ability.

“Wakefield are very keen on props and Richard Agar is keeping a close eye on him and Matty will attend some Wakefield sessions throughout the season. We have also arranged for Paul Sculthorpe MBE to act as a mentor to help him develop as a player. This is where the pathways that we have put into place come into fruition.”

“Matty also got the opportunity to train with Sheffield during their pre season and he got the train to every session until our pre season started and I think that shows how much Matty wants this opportunity and to continue to develop himself.”