A senior fitness coach with Munster Rugby FC has claimed before the High Court that the club is making him redundant so it can give his job to someone else. The proposal to make Tom Comyns redundant was “an entire sham”, his counsel said.

Dr Comyns obtained a temporary injunction yesterday preventing the IRFU Munster branch advertising for, or filling, the position of fitness coach.

Ms Justice Mary Laffoy said the order applied until next week or pending further order. The IRFU has liberty to apply on notice to Dr Comyns’s side to discharge the order in the interim.

Senior counsel Marguerite Bolger, for Dr Comyns, said he was told “out of the blue” last Friday by Munster chief executive Garret Fitzgerald that his position was to be made redundant, counsel said. He was also told his position was to be readvertised, but it was made clear he would not be successful in applying because he did “not have the skill sets required”, counsel said. Her client’s concern was that if the position was advertised, his reputation would be seriously damaged.