Rodney Ah You: Has signed a one-year contract extension with Connacht

Connacht props Rodney Ah You and JP Cooney have signed one and two-year contract extensions respectively with the province.

The versatile pair, who can play at both loosehead and tighthead, will ensure incoming coach Pat Lam has options in the front row next season.

Ah You joined Connacht in 2010 from Canterbury and has won 41 caps for the westerners.

The 24-year-old was capped by New Zealand at U19 and U20 level and was also a member of the IRB Junior World Championship-winning teams in 2007 and 2008.

Tipperary native Cooney joined Connacht last summer and made his first appearances in December against Edinburgh and Biarritz.

Connacht CEO Tom Sears said: "I'm very pleased that Rodney and JP have committed their immediate futures with Connacht Rugby.

"Both young props have displayed destructive scrummaging and ball-carrying skill this season and I'm looking forward to watching them develop even further with the province.

"Our squad retention programme for next season has gone very well. In the last few months, five of our props have signed contract extensions and this is an area in which we are now very strong going into next season.

"There are still a number of areas we are working on and, over the coming months, we hope to announce additional player recruitments as we seek to build the strongest squad possible."