Mayo native among players departing Connacht Rugby at season's end
Connacht Rugby has confirmed the players who will depart the club at the end of the season.
The list includes Ballinrobe native Matthew Burke, who has made 39 appearances for the club since 2018.
Elsewhere, as previously announced, 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 serving as club captain for four seasons and earning 126 caps, with Farrell scoring 21 tries in his 112 appearances for the province.
Also leaving the club are Dominic Robertson-McCoy, Tom Daly, Gavin Thornbury, Oran McNulty and Tadgh McElroy, while Michael McDonald will return to Ulster after completing his season-long loan.
Connacht Rugby head coach Pete Wilkins commented: “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 team-mates, 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.”
NEW ADDITIONS
Meanwhile, Connacht Rugby has also confirmed a 43-man playing squad for the 2024/25 season.
In all there are nine 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.
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 set-up, gives us the right balance to allow us to compete on both fronts.”
The Connacht Rugby professional squad 2024/25 is as follows: 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, J.J. 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.