Jordie Barrett will play the rest of the season at Leinster. David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images
All Blacks star Jordie Barrett has been given the “royal treatment” upon arriving in Dublin as he prepares to start life at Irish club Leinster.
Barrett signed a short-term deal with Leinster in April, and will play the rest of the season in the URC before returning to New Zealand.
The 27-year-old has a connection with Ireland, having spent time in Oldcastle, County Meath when his family lived there in the early 2000s.
The centre also got a special reception from an old Irish rival when he touched down.
“It’s great to be here, [I] got the royal treatment, picked up at the airport by [Leinster & Ireland prop] Tadhg Furlong, great to be welcomed by someone like that,” Barrett told Leinster TV.
“It’s nice to be able to rub shoulders with a lot of boys this week, the internationals are away so I’ve been seeing plenty of fresh faces in and around the environment and it’s a special time that I’m very much looking forward to.”
Barrett was in Dublin last month as New Zealand beat Ireland 23-13 at the Aviva Stadium and said it was a unique experience ahead of his move.
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“Yeah, it was a special week,” Barrett said. “It was one I was looking forward to the minute I signed with Leinster.
“Had it marked in the calendar and it was such a great week. It was different from the times I’ve been in Dublin before.
“There were plenty of people around Dublin that were happy that I was in Dublin and they kept saying to me ‘welcome to Leinster’ and that they were glad to have me, so that was pretty special.
“It was a funny feeling playing against a few of the Irish boys who are here with Leinster and knowing that I’ll be hopefully chucking on a jersey beside them in a few weeks time, so it’s pretty special.”
Leinster take on English side Bristol in the Champions Cup on Saturday.
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