DB CONvLEI 2 URC Digital Match Programme

PRESIDENT’s
WELCOME
THank You To Our Partners for
their continued support
As President of Connacht Rugby I
am delighted to speak to you ahead
of this evening’s interpro against
our neighbours Leinster, I extend
a special welcome to the Leinster
President, Billy Murphy, his wife
Kathryn & all Leinster officials.
Games between these two proud
provinces are always eagerly
awaited. Some of Connacht greatest
days – and not so great days – have
come against our neighbours across
the Shannon, so we’ll see what
tonight brings!
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There’s a huge amount of
excitement about the game. It’s
been a sell out for weeks, and it’s
due to be the largest attendance at
The Sportsground since the COVID
pandemic. This says a lot not just
about the health of rugby in Ireland,
but the sense of positivity around
the province these days.
To make today happen, a lot of work
goes on behind the scenes by staff
and volunteers that goes unseen.
So I want to express sincere thanks
to those people for making sure our
matchday runs smoothly. Likewise
it’s the volunteers in club land who
make rugby in Connacht what it is
today.
I was lucky enough to spend the
last 10 days with the squad in South
Africa, and saw first-hand the
dedication and commitment of the
players and management, both on
and off the field. For me personally,
little did I think that I would be in
South Africa as Connacht President
when I started playing rugby.
Coming back with a win in Durban
was no mean feat, and I’m sure it’ll
stand to the group come the end of
the season.
You may have also seen photos of the
huge number of Connacht supporters
who made the trip down there. Their
sense of passion for the club, and the
lengths they go to, to support the
lads, really is something special.
Tonight marks the start of the
Christmas rugby season. In just 6 days
we host Bordeaux for the opening
round of the Investec Champions
Cup, followed by visits to London and
Belfast to face Saracens and Ulster,
and then we welcome Munster to
Galway on New Years Day. It promises
to be a special month and I hope you
enjoy every minute of it. And we pick
up some wins along the way!
Thank you again, and enjoy the
evening.
Michael O’Hehir
Connacht Rugby President, 2023/24
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Coach PREVIEW
“Jacques Nienaber has come in
and no doubt will be bringing a
lot of positive changes”
“We watched their game
against Munster and Munster
created chances against them
which showed us there are
opportunites when you play
against them”
“The key is to take those chance
against them”
Mack Hansen is back in the
squad and it has brought plenty
of excitment around the squad
and Connacht supporters.
“It’s great to have him back
because he’s a great player and
he brings a great buzz around
the place”
“I don’t know Mack that well
personally, we haven’t had a
chance to spend a lot of time
together with him being away
with Ireland and the last two
weeks me being in South Africa
with the squad”
“’I can’t wait to work with him
and see him out on the pitch”
After two weeks in South
Africa, Connacht come home
where they get set for an
interprovincial derby in the BKT
United Rugby Championship
against Leinster this Saturday
at The Sportsground (k/o
7.35pm).
Coming up against Leinster is
always a huge challenge for any
team but Connacht’s Lineout
and Maul coach John Muldoon
believes this is a game every
player should be excited about.
“Over the years regardless of
who has come here, with a home
crowd and a bit of blood in the
water you can always believe when
you play at The Sportsground”
“If you were ever wanting a game
to have after coming back from
a defeat like we had last week in
Pretoria along with the travel,
there’s nothing better to focus
the mind than a derby”
“We know Leinster are a great
team and have been for the last
15 or so years”
“This season is a bit of a change
for them with Stuart Lancaster
gone and Johnny Sexton retiring”

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Player PREVIEW
for places. Kilgallen spoke about
the fight for places in the team.
“We all know that if you want to
play, you need to be on your game”
It has been an impressive start to
the 2023/24 season for Diarmuid
Kilgallen having scored four
tries in four games including
last weekend in Pretoria against
the Bulls.
The try scoring winger will be
hoping to add more tries this
weekend against Leinster at The
Sportsground.
“When you get a chance to play you
need to take your opportunities”
“As a winger you need to be
involved just as much as any
player but another key thing is
having the ability to score tries”
“I wouldn’t say I’ve gave the perfect
performance yet this season, but
any time I’ve got a chance to score
I’ve took it”
“Of course I want to go out this
weekend and score but the most
important thing for me is helping
the team win”
There’s plenty of competition in the
back three this season, a back three
which now see’s the return of Mack
Hansen adding to that competition
“Everyone puts in the work each
week during training to get a start”
“You can see each player driving
the standard up in training each
week”
Having returned from South Africa
on Monday, questions have been
asked about the affects the long
travel may have on the Connacht
squad but Kilgallen doesn’t see it
being an issue.
“In terms of travel everything we
do is tailored towards getting right
for the next job as quick as we can”
‘We are professional athletes and
in the world of sport you have to
travel with matches back-to-back
so it is nothing new for us”
“Training has been really good this
week”
“Everyone has been buzzing for
this one, and knowing we have a
full house at The Sportsground
adds to it”
“These are the games the fans
love, the noise level goes up a
few gears which we love to hear”

Pro team PROFILES
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Centre
jack
aungier
Prop
finlay
bealham
Prop
Caolin
blade
Scrum Half
shayne
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Back Three
Paul
boyle
Back Row
denis
buckley
Prop
Eoin
de buitlear
Hooker
matthew
burke
Prop
Jarrad
Butler
Back Row
Jack
carty
Out Half
santiago
cordero
Back Three
tom
daly
Centre
peter
dooley
Prop
OISIN
DOWLING
Second Row
jordan
duggan
Prop
tom
farrell
Centre
CATHAL
FORDE
Centre

Pro team PROFILES
jj
hanrahan
Out Half
mack
hansen
Back Three
David
hawkshaw
Out Half /
Centre
dave
heffernan
Hooker
SHAMUS
HURLEY-
LANGTON
Back Row
sam
illo
Prop
sean
jansen
Back Row
shane
jennings
Centre/
Back Three
Joe
joyce
Second Row
Diarmuid
Kilgallen
Back Three
oisin
mccormack
Back Row
Michael
Mcdonald
Scrum Half
Tadhg
mcelroy
Hooker
Liam
Mcnamara
Back Three
oran
mcnulty
Back Three
DarragH
Murray
Second Row
Niall
Murray
Second Row
SEAN
O’BRIEN
Back Row

Pro team PROFILES
tiernan
o’halloran
Back Three
conor
oliver
Back Row
john
porch
Back Three
Cian
prendergast
Back Row
Byron
Ralston
Centre/Back
Three
Colm
Reilly
Scrum Half
Building &
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Dominic
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Prop
ANDREW
SMITH
Back Three
Gavin
Thornbury
Second Row
Dylan
Tierney-martin
Hooker
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Pro team MANAGEMENT
ACADEMY MANAGEMENT
Tim
Allnutt
Director of
Rugby
Operations
pete
wilkins
Head Coach
Colm
tucker
Scrum &
Contact Coach
Eric
Elwood
Academy
Manager
ANdrew
Browne
Elite Player
Development
Officer
MORGAN
Codyre
Elite Player
Development
Officer
JOHN
MULDOON
Lineout &
Maul Coach
Mark
sexton
Assistant Attack
& Skills Coach
Scott
Fardy
Defence
Coach
Mervyn
Murphy
Provincial Talent
Coach
Sebastian
Delport
Provincial Talent
Coach
Andrew
Murphy
Head of Athletic
Development
Simon
Kavanagh
Senior
Video Analyst
Mikey
KIELY
Head of Athletic
Performance
David
Hanly
Head of
Physiotherapy
Mark
Gallagher
Lead
Physiotherapist
Alan
Doonan
Performance
Analyst
niall
brady
Performance
Nutritionist
Martin
Joyce
Logistics
Manager
Gavin
Rackard
Performance
Nutritionist
Barry
o’BRIEN
Senior S&C
Coach
Micheal
Devane
S&C
Coach
lARISSA
MULDOON
Female
Provincial
Talent Coach
ANN
CAFFREY
Female Athletic
Development
Coach
michael
o’driscoll
S&C
Coach
Oisin
O’Dalaigh
Asst.
Performance
Analyst
Kevin
O’Brien
Physiotherapist
Aidan
O’Flynn
Personal
Development
Chloe
Mccrann
Rugby
Operations
Executive
Deirdre
Lyons
Player
Development
Manager
mitchell
ward
Physiotherapist
Stephen
Long
Communications
Manager
deirdre
lyons
Player
Development
Manager

ACADEMY PROFILES
fiachna
barrett
Prop
john
devine
Centre
Matthew
devine
Scrum Half
Connacht rugby
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hugh
gavin
Centre
daniel
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Centre
shane
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Back Three
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cLUB & COMMUNITY
belt. But we will come out fighting
on the day.” – Norman Tierney,
Manager
Tuam/Oughterard Colts
Women’s team overcame UL
Bohemians 2nds with a 38-12 win
in the Semi-Final of the Energia
All-Ireland Women’s Junior Cup
last Saturday, 25th November at
Tuam RFC. Reigning champions
MU Barnhall and first-time
finalists Tuam/Oughterard
Colts will meet in January’s
Energia All-Ireland Junior Cup
final.
“To have won on Saturday and
reach an All-Ireland final is special
on a different level. A huge thing
we have in our favour is the youth
of the squad, they are a tight
knit group and don’t fear any
opposition. There is an excitement
in the group we are really looking
forward to the challenge MU
Barnhall will bring.” – Owen Lydon,
Manager
“Credit has to go to the ladies who
bought a good work ethos on the
pitch; they all work for each other,
which is brilliant. They fight for
everything. Who scores doesn’t
matter and it’s all about the team
with them. I think that’s why we all
get on very well as a group. I don’t
think it has sunk in with girls that
they are into an All-Ireland final
yet. MU Barnhall will be a big ask
for us in January as a lot of their
players have AIL time under their
The team’s 34-14 win over
Westport in the Bank of Ireland
Women’s Invitational Cup at The
Sportsground saw them qualify
for the quarter-final of the All-
Ireland Junior Cup. The quarterfinal
was no easy feat with an away
match to Skibbereen last month,
however they came away with
a 45-7 win to see them into the
semi-final against UL Bohemians
with home advantage.
A convincing 38-12 win over the
Munster side means they are into
the All-Ireland Junior Cup final
for the first time ever.
“We are extremely proud of where
we’ve gotten to. This is our second
season as a senior club, and to
come this far with a young squad
is a testament to the girls and
to our coaching and backroom
staff. It’s a huge day for us as
players and for the club, and we
are hoping to showcase exactly
what rugby out west looks like
in the final in January.” – Captain
Sarah-Jane Fox
The final is the weekend of the
13th/14th of January. Time and
venue TBC. Come along and
support the team who are in their
first ever All-Ireland Junior Cup
Final!

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Croí, Official Charity Partner of Connacht Rugby for the 2023/24 season.
Support Croí in 2024
As an independent not-for-profit organisation, fundraising
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Annual Croí ‘Go Red’ Ball, Galmont Hotel, Galway......................................... Friday, 22 March, 2024
30th Croí Corrib Charity Cycle, Galway ............................................................. Sunday, 9 June, 2024
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10th Croí Night Run, Galway.....................................................................Friday, October 11th, 2024
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