Aviva Premiership Rugby Football Union club the London Irish have announced the signing of hooker Tom Cruse from the Rugby Football Union Championship club the Rotherham Titans for the new season.
The 26 year old player has spent the last two years of his career playing in the RFU Championship having initially burst onto the scene with Sale Sharks in the Aviva Premiership. He began his senior career with Stockport and also won representative honours for Cheshire. Speaking of his move to the Exiles, Cruse said that the chance to sign for the club and play regularly in the Aviva Premiership was something that he has worked long and hard to achieve and when the opportunity presented itself, he did not even need to think about it.
He went on to add that there is a lot of excitement about the London Irish at the moment and he cannot wait for the summer to join up with his new teammates and begin his stint with the club. He has, however, admitted that for the time being, he wants to give his all for the Titans and wants to leave the team on a high.
The Titans have been a strong feeder club of sorts for the Exiles in recent years with the likes of Fergus Mulchrone and Eamonn Sheridan as well as Nic Rouse joining them from the RFU Championship side.
The London Irish has a long tradition of spotting and developing talent from the second tier of English rugby and the signing of Cruse is a testament to that. Bob Casey, the director of operations at the club hailed the signing of Cruse as a coup and called him as one of the biggest emerging talents from the RFU Championship, adding that his dynamism will be a huge addition to the club.