Leinster confirm Ben Te’o will leave at end of the season

Departure of centre will further fuel speculation linking Robbie Henshaw with a move

Ben Te’o will leave Leinster after the current campaign. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho
Ben Te’o will leave Leinster after the current campaign. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho

Leinster has announced that centre Ben Te'o will leave the province at the end of the season fuelling further speculation that Ireland and Connacht's Robbie Henshaw may well be on his way to the RDS for next season.

Te'o, a rugby league convert, will leave for Worcester Warriors at the end of the current campaign having played 23 times for Leinster since joining from the South Sydney Rabitohs at the end of the 2013-14 season.

Te’o, who recently expressed a desire to play international rugby at some stage in his career, will see out the current season before making the move to Sixways. Although born in Auckland, the 28-year-old is eligible to play for England on his mother’s side.

"Although disappointed that Ben is leaving, on behalf of everyone at Leinster Rugby, we would like to wish Ben the very best with his move to Worcester and indeed with his quest to play international rugby," said Leinster coach Leo Cullen.

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“Ben is a very popular player within the group and we believe that he can still play a big part in our season. He showed in his last season with the Rabbitohs that he has the skill set to apply himself brilliantly in delivering some big performances on the way to helping his club win the NRL title in the full knowledge that he was joining Leinster.”

Henshaw is out of contract at the end of the season and is waiting on an offer from the IRFU through Performance Director David Nucifora.

A fullback or centre the 22-year-old had expressed a view that his contract negotiations be wrapped up by Christmas. He has long been linked with a move to Leinster, but he says he has had a number of approaches from clubs outside Ireland. Munster are also known to be keen on his services

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson is a sports writer with The Irish Times