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Connacht's JJ Hanrahan confirms his latest move
By Liam Heagney
JJ Hanrahan has agreed to re-join Munster for what will be his third stint at the province. The 32-year-old made his career breakthrough with his home team, debuting in 2012 before switching to Northampton three years later.
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He re-joined Munster in 2017 before making a second move away in 2021, playing for Clermont, Dragons and lately Connacht before deciding to now give his home province a third go. His decision comes a week after it was confirmed that Chiefs boss Clayton McMillan will take over next season from Graham Rowntree, who vacated the Munster head coach role last October.
A statement read: “Munster and the IRFU are pleased to confirm the signing of JJ Hanrahan from Connacht on a two-year deal. The province’s third-highest points-scorer of all-time with 743 points in 142 appearances, the Castleisland man will return in the summer having departed for Clermont in 2021.
“The out-half, who can also play in the centre and at full-back, has spent the last two seasons at Connacht where he has scored 145 points in 23 appearances to date. He recently returned to action after recovering from a knee injury.
“Hanrahan made his Munster debut against Dragons in September 2012 and won the province’s young player of the year award in 2014. An 88.71 per cent success rate off the tee also saw him win the 2014 PRO12 golden boot award.
“After making 64 appearances in three seasons, he joined Northampton Saints in 2015 before returning to Munster in 2017. Hanrahan marked his 100th Munster appearance with a player of the match performance in the win over Benetton in April 2019 and kicked the winning penalty from the halfway line against the same opponents in the PRO14 quarter-final.
“He won the PRO14 golden boot for the second time in the 2019/20 season having landed 50/55 kicks in the regular season. He starred in Munster’s first-ever win away to Clermont at Stade Marcel Michelin in December 2020 and was 100 per cent accurate off the tee, scoring 24 points in the 39-31 comeback victory.
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“At the end of that season, Hanrahan joined Clermont and spent a year in France before returning to the URC with Dragons in 2022/23. He has spent the last two seasons with Connacht and will return home to Munster this summer.
“Hanrahan is the fourth new signing for 2025/26 along with centre Dan Kelly, prop Michael Milne and hooker Lee Barron. Five academy players have been confirmed so far to be moving up to the senior squad next season: Fionn Gibbons, Shay McCarthy, Evan O’Connell, Ruadhan Quinn and Kieran Ryan.”
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