Rugby briefs: Dan Biggar | Johnny O’Connor | Cooper Vuna

WALES fly-half Dan Biggar has agreed a new three-year contract with the Ospreys.

The Swansea-based team announced they had finalised terms with 23-year-old Biggar to keep him at the Liberty Stadium until 2016. And it will also be welcome news for the Welsh Rugby Union, given the player exodus of recent seasons.

Mike Phillips, Gethin Jenkins, Luke Charteris, James Hook and Lee Byrne currently play in France, although Jenkins will return to Cardiff Blues next season, while Jamie Roberts and Dan Lydiate are likely to join Paris-based Racing Metro later this year.

Biggar, though, has decided his rugby future lies in Wales.

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• Former Wasps and Ireland flanker Johnny O’Connor has announced he will retire from rugby at the end of this season.

O’Connor, 33, is currently in his second spell with Connacht, having returned to Galway from Wasps in 2007. He won 12 Test caps, including being part of Ireland’s 2006 Triple Crown-winning team, while his Wasps career featured two Heineken Cup final victories and two Premiership titles.

“I am happy with this decision I’ve come to following 14 years playing professional rugby, and my body is telling me that it’s ‘my time’ now,” O’Connor said.

“I’ve enjoyed my playing career massively.”

• Wallabies winger Cooper Vuna was suspended by the Melbourne Rebels for one Super 15 game yesterday, a game he was already going to miss after being sent home from South Africa for fighting with a team-mate. Following their humiliating 64-7 loss to the Sharks in Durban on Saturday, full-back Kurtley Beale punched captain Gareth Delve, then Vuna, sticking up for Delve, fought with Beale. Vuna also breached team protocol when he tweeted about the incident. Beale and Vuna were sent back to Australia in disgrace. Beale did not play in the match because of a broken left hand.

The pair will miss the Rebels’ match against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday, but Vuna will be available to play next week.

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