Connacht Rugby can confirm the players who will depart the club at the end of the season. Tiernan O’Halloran will retire at the end of the season after a 15-year career at his home province, while Diarmuid Kilgallen will move to Munster. Centurions Jarrad Butler and Tom Farrell will also move on at the end of the campaign. Both players joined the province in 2017 - Butler was club captain for four seasons and earned 126 caps, while Farrell scored 21 tries in his 112 appearances for the club. Also leaving the club are Dominic Robertson-McCoy, Tom Daly, Gavin Thornbury, Matthew Burke, Oran McNulty and Tadgh McElroy, while Michael McDonald will return to Ulster after completing his season-long loan.
Head Coach Pete Wilkins says: “All our departing players should be very proud of the contributions they’ve made to our club and the province. It’s never easy to say goodbye to players, particularly those who have been with us for so long, but they’ve made a lasting impression with their teammates, the wider management team and the supporters. On behalf of everyone at the club I sincerely thank them and wish them every success in the future. I’m sure they’ll get the reception they deserve after the Stormers game, and they will always be welcome back to Dexcom Stadium.”
2024/25 PRO SQUAD CONFIRMED
Connacht Rugby are also pleased to now confirm a 43-man playing squad for the 2024/25 season. In all there are 9 new additions to the Professional ranks. As well as previously announced new signings Temi Lasisi, David O’Connor, Piers O’Conor, Adam McBurney and Ben Murphy, also re-joining the side is Josh Murphy after his 12-month leave to complete his medical studies. Completing the new additions next season are Academy graduates Matthew Devine, Hugh Gavin and Chay Mullins.
Pete Wilkins added: “We’re very excited about the squad we’ve assembled next season. We have evolved certain position groups, with the primary aim to strengthen the squad while still providing our exciting crop of young players the opportunity for further growth and development. It was important for us to have a degree of flexibility in certain positions, particularly around lock, back row and back three. That versatility will be really important for us as the season plays out. It’s a slightly smaller squad than the one that started this season which was a necessity due to the World Cup, so I think 43 contracted pro players, with our integrated Academy setup, gives us the right balance to allow us to compete on both fronts.”
CONNACHT RUGBY PROFESSIONAL SQUAD 2024-25
Props
Jack AUNGIER
Finlay BEALHAM
Denis BUCKLEY
Peter DOOLEY
Jordan DUGGAN
Sam ILLO
Temi LASISI
Hookers
Eoin DE BUITLÉAR
Dave HEFFERNAN
Adam MCBURNEY
Dylan TIERNEY-MARTIN
Locks
Oisín DOWLING
Joe JOYCE
Josh MURPHY
Darragh MURRAY
Niall MURRAY
David O’CONNOR
Back Row
Paul BOYLE
Shamus HURLEY-LANGTON
Sean JANSEN
Oisín MCCORMACK
Seán O’BRIEN
Conor OLIVER
Cian PRENDERGAST
Scrum-Half
Caolin BLADE
Matthew DEVINE
Ben MURPHY
Colm REILLY
Out-Half
Jack CARTY
JJ HANRAHAN
Centre
Bundee AKI
Cathal FORDE
Hugh GAVIN
David HAWKSHAW
Piers O’CONOR
Byron RALSTON
Back Three
Shayne BOLTON
Santiago CORDERO
Mack HANSEN
Shane JENNINGS
Chay MULLINS
John PORCH
Andrew SMITH
