sabbatical

Ioane is contracted to the Blues in New Zealand until 2027 but will take a "sabbatical" to join the Irish province on a seven-month contract after the November internationals.

A year before her death, she told People magazine: "It's the longest sabbatical I ever took but it was for really important reasons - to get in touch with my family again."

She is currently on a sabbatical, but there is no suggestion she wants to return to the far less secure world of tennis coaching on a permanent basis.

In August, Vaccaro took a sabbatical from the University of Kansas to curate the exhibition “Scientia Sexualis” at the Institute for Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

The 46-year-old had taken a sabbatical from the force and took up the role in DR Congo because of the lucrative salary offer.