In the current climate, there's a lot of appeal for banks and wealth managers to be seen as a safe pair of hands. Good news then for Investec, which has just signed up former Irish international centre Gordon D'Arcy.

Having retired from professional rugby at the end of last season, D'Arcy has officially joined Investec as a wealth and investment adviser. He did a stint as an intern last year alongside the day job at Leinster.

And, as befits a man known for his attention to detail in training and personal playing welfare, he’s ready to hit the ground running as he is a fully qualified financial adviser .

Whether it’s good news for Investec’s rivals is another thing, especially if his new colleagues can persuade him to sign up for the in-house team in in in Dublin’s notoriously competitive inter-company Tag Rugby league.

The Investec team already boasts Lisa Curtin, who represented Ireland in Ladies Tag in Australia just before Christmas.

Even before Investec, D'Arcy has put his name to several investments, including the Exchequer gastropub, in which he is a part-owner, and Form School for Pilates, where he is a director alongside his wife Aoife Cogan.

He is also a popular figure on the speaking circuit and, of course, is increasingly well known as a forthright columnist elsewhere in this paper.

He'll find familiar faces in his new role. Former Leinster colleagues John McWeeney and Niall Treston are already working at the Dublin financial services group.