Connacht confirm 11 end-of-season leavers, name nine new arrivals

Connacht have named the 11 players leaving them at the end of the current season, a list that includes former skipper Jarrad Butler. The Irish URC side have also confirmed their squad of 43 for the 2024/25 campaign, slightly down in size from 2023/24.

A statement read: “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 was club captain for four seasons and earned 126 caps, while Farrell scored 21 tries in his 112 appearances for the club.

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“Also leaving 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.

“There are nine new additions to the professional ranks for 2024/25. 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.

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Head coach Pete Wilkins said: “All our departing players should be very proud of the contributions they have made to our club It’s never easy to say goodbye to players, particularly those who have been with us for so long, but they have made a lasting impression.

“On behalf of everyone at the club, I sincerely thank them and wish them every success in the future. I’m sure they will get the reception they deserve after the Stormers game, and they will always be welcome back to Dexcom Stadium.

“We are very excited about the squad we have assembled next season. We have evolved certain position groups, with the primary aim of strengthening 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 43 contracted pro players, with our integrated academy setup, gives us the right balance to allow us to compete on both fronts.”