Connacht Rugby are delighted to announce that five Pro players have signed contract extensions, with Caolin Blade, Tom Farrell, Oran McNulty, Conor Oliver and Dylan Tierney-Martin all committing their futures to the province.
The announcement is further good news for the club, on the back of contract extensions for five other players before Christmas.
Monivea native Caolin Blade has made 139 appearances for his home club since his debut in 2014. Having previously been called up to a number of Ireland squads, the scrum-half then made his international debut against USA during the 2021 Summer Internationals. He has signed a one-year extension.
Tom Farrell joined Connacht in January 2017 and has become a fan favourite with his exciting style of rugby from outside centre. Farrell has penned a two-year deal and has played 67 times for the club, scoring 16 tries.
Conor Oliver has made a big impact at Connacht Rugby since his arrival in the summer of 2020. He has made 30 appearances so far, including starts in 8 of Connacht’s 10 games so far this season, earning plaudits for his performances at openside flanker. He has also penned a two-year extension.
Full-back Oran McNulty has also signed a two-year extension. He first joined the Connacht Academy in 2018, having come through the Irish Exiles programme. An Ireland U20 international, McNulty has played five times for the province and scored his first senior try against Ospreys last November.
Dylan Tierney-Martin is another product of the Connacht pathway system, having played his club & school rugby with The Bish and Galway Corinthians RFC. The hooker has signed a one-year extension and made his senior away to Scarlets at the tail-end of last season’s Guinness PRO14.
Connacht Head Coach Andy Friend says today is another positive step for the club:
“I’m really pleased that the five men have all agreed to continue their time here at Connacht. They’re each at different stages of their careers – Caolin is a Connacht native who has come through the system to become a centurion which is a testament to the type of player he is, Tom and Conor are heading into the prime of their careers and will keep getting better, and Oran and Dylan are still starting out on their journeys and will continue to develop and grow.
We’re building something really positive at Connacht Rugby and today’s news reaffirms that for us. Our contracting is progressing very well and we’ll be making further announcements in the coming weeks.”
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