The former Britain rugby league international Brian Carney has signed a two-year contract with Munster. The 30-year-old Cork-born winger has been added to Munster's European Cup squad ahead of the quarter-final against the Llanelli Scarlets at Stradey Park on March 30th.

Carney, who has not played rugby union since he left Clongowes Wood College, came to the attention of English league teams while playing for the Irish students side in 1998.

After a season each with Gateshead Thunder and Hull, he was signed by Wigan in 2000 and resisted offers to return to the union code in 2003. That same year he became the first Irishman since Tom McKinney in 1957 to be selected for Britain.

In 2005, he moved to Australian franchise the Newcastle Knights - where he was named the league's winger of the season last year. In January he moved to the Gold Coast Titans but never lined out for them, opting instead to retire from rugby league.

If the switch back to union proves a success, Carney will become an immediate candidate to tour with Ireland in the summer as part of the Churchill Cup squad or senior squad in Argentina.

"It's a tremendous honour to be signed up by a club like Munster," said Carney yesterday.

"My first objective is to get into the Munster side and become a player that is wanted in the team. To do that I need to work hard and I'm prepared to knuckle down in the coming weeks."

Given injuries to Shaun Payne (hand) and Anthony Horgan (Achilles tendon), Carney may well make his debut against Ulster in Ravenhill next Friday.

Munster coach Declan Kidney said: "Given the current injury situation with Mossie Lawlor, Shaun Payne and Anthony Horgan, it is particularly opportune to acquire someone of Brian's stature and experience, particularly for the latter part of the Magners League and Heineken Cup campaigns."

Hooker Denis Fogarty and Shannon lock Donnacha Ryan have also been included in the extended European squad.