Galwegians prop Peter Bracken has accepted an offer to join Magners League side the Dragons.
The former Connacht player returned to Galwegians when his contract finished at Harlequins last summer, having spent a number of seasons in the premiership with Wasps, where he won a Heineken Cup medal. Bracken now looks set to be named in the Dragons’ Heineken Cup squad for their visit to Gloucester tomorrow.
Galwegians coach Kevin Tierney says he will be loss to the club, but his new contract is also a reflection on All Ireland League rugby.
“Peter Bracken's decision to return to play in division 1 was a big boost to the AIB league, and shows that the club game still plays a vital role in acting as a springboard to the professional game.
"Peter's ambition was always to play at the highest level, and the arrangement with Galwegians was that we would not stand in his way if a professional offer came his way,” says Tierney.
“Peter was influential in our retention of the Connacht League and our opening AIB league game against Dungannon and we wish him the best with the Dragons. We are confident we will see him in the sky blue again sometime in the future."
Bracken, who toured with Ireland to Australia and New Zealand in 2006 and Argentina in 2007, joined Wasps from Connacht in 2005 before joining Bristol in 2007 where his game time was limited by injury. He was released in January 2009 before joining Harlequins on a short-term contract last season.
