Kiwi playmaker Berquist has agreed a one-year deal with a further option to extend.

Interestingly, both Sykes and Berquist came up against each other during last Sunday’s Super 15 clash in Twickenham which the Crusaders won 44-28.

Sykes, 26, has established himself as one of South Africa’s premier lock forwards in recent years, but he has never been capped by the Springboks meaning it is possible that he could qualify to play for Ireland on residency grounds at the end of his three-year contract.

Sykes started his career with the Sharks in 2003, playing for the U20 side. Standing 1.98m tall and weighing in the region of 115kgs, the giant forward quickly made a name for himself in Durban and earned his Currie Cup and Super Rugby debuts in 2005 and 2006 respectively.

Former Leinster and Ireland Youths prop Hagan, 23, has played 23 times for Connacht in all competitions so far this season and 46 (including 13 in the Amlin Challenge Cup) games in total since his move from Leinster in 2009. A former Leinster Academy graduate who was educated in Gormanston College, he weighs in at 125kg and stands tall at 1.90m.

“I am delighted to be heading back home to Leinster and I am looking forward to the new challenges that I will face. Everyone in Connacht (particularly Eric Elwood and Dan McFarland) has been very good to me over the last few years and I'm looking forward to pushing on from my experience in Galway to make an impact when I return to Leinster in the summer,” said the Balbriggan native today.

Waipukurau-born Berquist, 27, joined the Canterbury Crusaders in 2010 having also played for Hawke’s Bay, Otago and Auckland. An accurate goal-kicker, he made his provincial debut in 2003 and has since gone on to play 67 times at provincial level, with a further 21 caps to date at Super 14/15 level.

Commenting on the moves, Leinster Coach Joe Schmidt added: “We are pleased to secure Steven’s signature, and this is a further welcome boost coming off the back of retaining some of our senior and up-and-coming players in recent weeks.

“Steven has gained a wealth of experience at Super 15 level in recent years and, at 26, we believe that his best years are still to come. He is an ambitious and talented player who is excited about joining the province.

“Jamie’s desire to return to the province of his birth after an impressive spell with Connacht over the last few years is another important acquisition for the panel. Our coaching team have been impressed by the level of his performances again this year and we believe that he has the potential to improve even further.

“Matt has been understudy to Dan Carter at the Crusaders this year, which limits any player’s game time a little, but he has proven quality and experience in the NPC and Super 15 and he will provide further competition for our established and up-and-coming out-halves.

“We are pleased to have secured all three players and I am sure that they will prove to be strong additions to the side over the coming seasons.”