Leinster confirm worst kept secret signing of Rabah Slimani

Leinster have finally announced the worst-kept secret in Irish Rugby they have signed Clermont Auvergne’s former French international tighthead Rabah Slimani ahead of next season.

The URC giants took to X, formally Twitter, on Monday morning with a meme about keeping a secret so well that it didn’t need Sherlock Holmes to work out who they were talking about.

Slimani, 34, who won 57 test caps for France before retiring after the 2019 World Cup, becomes the first Frenchman to sign for Leinster after the club missed out on a succession of other targets.

Wallaby star Taniela Tupou was their first choice to replace Michael Ala’alatoa, who is ironically heading to France to join Clermont to replace his own replacement in an ironic twist of fate.

But Rugby Australia insisted that he sees out the final year of his contract despite being left without a club following the demise of the Melbourne Rebels. He is likely to now join the NSW Waratahs.

Slimani started his career with 93 appearances for Stade Francais before moving south to Clermont in 2017. He played another 149 games before leaving when his contract ended last month.

He becomes the first big-name signing to join Leinster this summer, with Munster’s Springbok lock RG Snyman and All Blacks ace Jordie Barrett already confirmed as moving to Ballsbridge.

Leinster Rugby Head Coach Leo Cullen confirmed that Slimani will join the rest of his squad when they report back to UCD for the start of pre-season training next week.

“We are delighted that Rabah has decided to join us at Leinster Rugby. He is a player we have long admired with vast experience at the highest level of TOP14, European and international rugby.

“We believe he will be a great addition to the group, not only providing competition for the first team but also helping some of our young front-row players learn and develop,” he said.

While Slimani admits that he jumped at the chance to join Leinster and was looking forward to playing his club rugby outside France for the first time in his career.

“I’d like to thank Leo and Leinster Rugby for the opportunity to come and join a club with a massive history and a proven record of competing at the very top end of URC and European rugby.

“I am very excited to also experience a new country and a new city to live and to play my rugby and it is one that my family and I are looking forward to. We have loved our time in France and in the Top 14.

“But this is an incredible opportunity to come and join one of the great European clubs and to hopefully help the club achieve what they want to achieve on and off the field.”