Leinster land Aussie Elsom

Magners League champions Leinster have completed the signing of Australian flanker Rocky Elsom on a one-year deal.

The 25-year-old, who helped the NSW Waratahs to the Super 14 final, has been granted early release from his Wallabies contract - due to expire on December 31 - on 'compassionate grounds' and will join up with the Irish province at the end of the Tri-Nations in September.

Australia, like New Zealand, only select players who play their club rugby domestically, but the Australian Rugby Union chief John O'Neill says he hopes to have Elsom, who was won 33 caps, back by this time next year.

O'Neill said: "This was a specific request and we looked at all the factors involved.

"He took us into his confidence and this remains a confidential matter between Rocky and the ARU.

"What we can say is that we have offered Rocky valuable advice moving forward.

"We also factored into the equation that not giving him this assistance, in the form of an early release, meant we could have lost him to Australian rugby permanently.

"As it stands now, we hope to have Rocky back in Australia by the middle of next year."