Connacht

History of Connacht Rugby

Connacht Rugby are one of the four provincial rugby teams that represent Ireland in the United Rugby Championship and European competitions. The team is responsible for representing the Connacht Branch of the IRFU and their crest is a modified version of the provincial flag of Connacht. Although the province contains only 8% of the total population of Ireland, the team is incredibly competitive and widely popular. 

Historically, the Connacht rugby team has been given a lower status than the three other Irish provinces of Leinster, Ulster and Munster. As a result, when the professional era of rugby began, the Connacht rugby team only received half the budget of the other provinces and were labelled as a 'development team'. 

For this reason, when the Heineken Cup was formed (now the European Rugby Champions Cup), the other three provinces were entered but Connacht were forced to play in the EPCR Challenge Cup, a second-tier competition.

However, they joined the Celtic League in 2001-02 and have stayed in the competition ever since. Over the years, this tournament has changed names and format several times. Today, it is known as the United Rugby Championship. The highlight of Connacht’s time in the tournament undoubtedly came in the 2015-16 season, when they claimed the title. They beat a much-fancied Leinster team in the final, sparking jubilant celebrations. 

In addition, the Connacht rugby team has also fared well in European competitions over the years. They've reached the semi-final stage of the EPCR Challenge Cup three times and they've appeared in the European Rugby Champions Cup on several occasions.

Due to the fact that Connacht has a smaller playing population than the other Irish provinces, the team has a strong and proud history of developing academy players who are native to the province. Historically, these players include big names like Robbie Henshaw and Jack Carty, who is the club's record point scorer. 

However, unlike other provinces, Connacht also has a policy of bringing players in from outside its jurisdiction that have failed to reach their senior provincial team, such as Robbie McGrath and Victor Costello, who both went on to represent Ireland while playing for Connacht. 

Traditionally, the Connacht rugby team does not contain as many Irish internationals as the other provinces. However, several international players do currently feature in the Connacht rugby squad, such as prop Finlay Bealham, wing Mack Hansen and centre Bundee Aki.

Think the Connacht Rugby squad can claim the United Rugby Championship title again this season? Follow the team’s progress with RugbyPass.