Connacht Rugby - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Connacht Rugby is an Irish

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

professional rugby union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

team based in Connacht

Connacht

Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...

that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12

Celtic League (rugby union)

The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....

comprising teams from the Celtic nations

Celtic nations

The Celtic nations are territories in North-West Europe in which that area's own Celtic languages and some cultural traits have survived.The term "nation" is used in its original sense to mean a people who share a common traditional identity and culture and are identified with a traditional...

plus Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

. Normally, it also competes in the second-tier pan-European club competition, the European Challenge Cup

European Challenge Cup

The European Challenge Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Amlin Challenge Cup, is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup. The cup was known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003 to 2005. The European...

. However, in the upcoming 2011–12 season Connacht will instead compete in the top-tier Heineken Cup

Heineken Cup

The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...

. The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union

Irish Rugby Football Union

The Irish Rugby Football Union is the body managing rugby union in Ireland. The IRFU has its head office at 10/12 Lansdowne Road and home ground at Aviva Stadium, where Irish rugby union international matches are played...

's (IRFU) Connacht Branch, one of four primary branches of the IRFU. As such, it is responsible for rugby union in the Irish province

Provinces of Ireland

Ireland has historically been divided into four provinces: Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connacht. The Irish word for this territorial division, cúige, literally meaning "fifth part", indicates that there were once five; the fifth province, Meath, was incorporated into Leinster, with parts going to...

of Connacht

Connacht

.

The team plays its home games at the Galway Sportsgrounds

Galway Sportsgrounds

Galway Sportsground, also known as The Sportsground, is a multi-purpose stadium in Galway, Ireland. It opened in 1927, with the playing of a soccer match...

, which can normally hold 5,000 spectators though is expandable to 7,000 for important games. Connacht play in a predominantly green jersey with some black, black shorts

Rugby shorts

Rugby shorts are a type of shorts that are worn while playing rugby. They are designed to take the strains of the game and have traditionally been made from cotton.-IRB Regulations on shorts:...

and green and black socks. The Connacht Rugby crest is a modified version of the provincial flag of Connacht

Flag of Connacht

The flag of Connacht is a heraldic banner of the arms of Connacht, a dimidiated eagle and armed hand. The arms of are recorded as such on a map of Galway dated 1651, now in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin....

and consists of a dimidiated

Dimidiation

In heraldry, dimidiation is a method of joining two coats of arms.For a time, dimidiation preceded the method known as impalement. Whereas impalement involves placing the whole of both coats of arms side by side in the same shield, dimidiation involves placing the dexter half of one coat of arms...

eagle and an arm wielding a sword.

Connacht has a much smaller base of rugby union players to choose from than the other three provinces, due in part to its small population and the relative popularity of Gaelic Athletic Association

Gaelic Athletic Association

The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...

sports such as hurling

Hurling

Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...

and Gaelic football

Gaelic football

Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

. Connacht has only 7% of the total number of Irish rugby union players currently; however the rugby union in Connacht has expanded in recent years, with a growing number of players involved and an increasing number of schools now playing the game.

Through the work of the Connacht Branch and the support of the IRFU, the province over the last five years has had the largest growth in underage and schools participation in Ireland.

History

The Connacht Branch of the IRFU was founded in 1885 and is currently made up of 19 clubs. Connacht was the first ever Irish provincial team to win in France and England in 1997. Connacht were quarter finalists in the European Challenge Cup

European Challenge Cup

in 1997/98. In 2001/02 Connacht made it to the semi -finals of the Celtic League, but only reached the quarters in 2002/03.

The 2003/04 season was the most successful in the province's history. Their efforts in the Parker Pen Challenge Cup took them to within touching distance of the final. Only a try from Harlequins' Will Greenwood

Will Greenwood

William John Heaton "Will" Greenwood, MBE is an English former rugby union footballer of the 1990s and 2000s.-Career:...

12 minutes from time in the second leg of the semi-final denied them a place in the final. Harlequins went on to win the final at Reading's Madejski Stadium

Madejski Stadium

The Madejski Stadium is a stadium in Reading, Berkshire, England. The stadium is the home of Reading Football Club and to the rugby union club London Irish as tenants. It also provides the finish for the Reading Half Marathon...

. They also got to the semi-final of the Celtic Cup. The 2004/05 season saw Connacht continue their form in the European Challenge cup, reaching the semi-finals where they were knocked out again over two legs by the eventual winners, Sale Sharks

Sale Sharks

Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...

.

Until the 2005/06 season, the IRFU automatically entered Connacht in the European Challenge Cup each year rather than the Heineken Cup, regardless of its result in the Celtic League

Celtic League (rugby union)

The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....

. Starting with the 2004/05 season, the IRFU agreed to use the Celtic League table as its sole criterion for determining which Irish teams would enter the next season's Heineken Cup. In that season, Connacht finished last among the competition's four Irish sides, which placed them in the 2005/06 European Challenge Cup. They have played in the European Challenge Cup every season since.

Connacht will make their first-ever Heineken Cup appearance in 2011–12, thanks to Leinster winning the 2011 Heineken Cup Final

2011 Heineken Cup Final

The 2011 Heineken Cup Final was the final match of the 2010–11 Heineken Cup, the 16th season of Europe's top club rugby union competition. The match was played on 21 May 2011 at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. The match was contested by Northampton Saints of England and Leinster of Ireland,...

. By competition rules, the winner of the Heineken Cup receives an automatic berth in the following year's competition, which passes to another team from that country if the winner is already qualified by domestic performance (with exceptions that do not apply to Ireland). As Leinster were qualified through the Celtic League, Connacht claimed the extra berth.

Development Team Status

With a smaller playing population than the other provinces, a larger proportion of its players are recruited from within the rest of Ireland usually as promising former Under-21 or Youth Internationals. In recent years however a growing number of young Connacht born players are progressing from the province's under-age rugby sides via development contracts into the senior squad. However funding inequalities from the IRFU compared to that of the other three Irish provinces means that Connacht players who develop are often prone to being recruited by the other provinces and clubs outside Ireland.

The Irish Rugby Football Union

Irish Rugby Football Union

IRFU has designated Connacht as a development team, which means that it receives only half the budget of the other Irish Provincial teams. In recent years the IRFU discussed whether they should be closed down as a means of cost saving by the IRFU

Irish Rugby Football Union

, as has happened to the Scottish super district Caledonia Reds

Caledonia Reds

Caledonia Reds were a Scottish rugby union district team who participated in the precursor to the Celtic League and in two seasons of the Heineken Cup. They represented one of four districts of Scotland, covering the North and Midlands Caledonia Reds were a Scottish rugby union district team who...

and the Welsh region Celtic Warriors

Celtic Warriors

The Celtic Warriors were a regional rugby union team from Wales, who played in the Celtic League and Heineken Cup between 2003 and 2004.-History:The Warriors were one of the five original regions of the Welsh Regional Rugby Era...

, and more recently Border Reivers

Border Reivers (Rugby)

Border Reivers, originally known as 'Scottish Borders Rugby' and also known as 'The Borders' were one of four professional rugby union teams in Scotland, alongside Edinburgh, Caledonia Reds and Glasgow Warriors....

. This attitude towards rugby in Connacht have provided much aggravation to the teams supporters who consider Connacht Rugbys underfunding and lack of resources debilitating and wholly unfair.

However, despite the threat of closure in the past and the lack of equality of funding, the province has acquitted itself well in all competition and has excelled in the European Challenge Cup in which it has reached two semi-finals and a quarter-final in the last three seasons. This season has seen a change for the better in regards to squad strengthening, with prominent players for the first time returning to the club to fight for Ireland selection and a promotion to the Heineken Cup for the Connacht Rugby team.

Galway Sportsground

The historical home of Connacht Rugby since the late 1920s, the Galway Sportsground

Galway Sportsgrounds

Galway Sportsground, also known as The Sportsground, is a multi-purpose stadium in Galway, Ireland. It opened in 1927, with the playing of a soccer match...

(or "the Sportsground" as it's known locally) is also well known as a charmingly spartan and inhospitable venue for many visiting teams especially in the depth of and Irish winter. In an age of gleaming Cathedrals of Sport and despite some modst development the Sportsground harks back to a era before professional Rugby. As the ground itself is actually owned by a third party "The Galway Agricultural & Sports Society Ltd." and leased to both Connacht Rugby & the Irish Greyhound Bord

Bord na gCon

Bord na gCon ,abbreviated BnaC, is an Irish semi-state body charged with regulating and promoting greyhound racing in Ireland. The board has been active in developing the sport in Ireland since its founding in 1958, but has also drawn criticism for acting independently of the government.- History...

. Due primarily to this issue the development of the ground has over the years lagged some way behind the home grounds of the other Irish provinces, who with the IRFU's

Irish Rugby Football Union

benevolence have forged ahead in implementing modern facilities for both visiting teams, corporate guests and Supporters alike and benefitting financially from the increased revenue streams. This extra revenue has allowed them to recruit blue chip players from abroad further boosting attendances and widening the gap between the other provinces and Connacht...

2011-2012

Connacht Rugby will participate in European Rugby's blue riband competition the Heineken Cup

2011–12 Heineken Cup

The 2011–12 Heineken Cup is the 17th season of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby...

in season 2011-2012. This has spurred a new phase of development at the Sportsground to extend formal capacity to 7,500 supporters.

With the existing Clubhouse terrace being knocked down to be replaced by a covered Terrace which will be called "the Clan Terrace". This terrace will primarily house season ticket holders/Supporters Club members. This is the first stage of development on the Clubhouse side of the ground as the Clan Terrace is scheduled to be repalced itself by a stand when funds to do so are in place.

There is also ancillary work being undertaken behind the terrace which will see the construction of a new marquee bar, food outlets and restroom facilities on the Clubhouse side of the ground.

The second part of the development will be the erection of a covered, seated "West Stand", adjacent to the existing main stand. This stand will cater for over 300 supporters in a structure that will be similar to that which was in place for Connacht’s Amlin Challenge Cup semi final against Toulon in 2010. The new West Stand, along with the developments on the new Clan side are anticipated to greatly improve overall facilities within the Sportsground and help make the home of Connacht Rugby a fun, safe and enjoyable venue for years to come.

Colours and Logo

The eagle and sword arm crest used by Connacht are said to have been granted to Ruaidhri Ua Conchobhair King of Connacht by the Schottenkloster or Irish monastery founded in Regensburg, Bavaria in the 11th century.

The current kit consists of a green shirt with black trimming, black shorts and black socks with green trimming. The away kit is all black.

Strangely the traditional colours of the Connacht province and flag are blue, black and white with no green present, the reasons for its presence on the Connacht Rugby kit are unknown as it not used on underage teams who wear a blue and white/black kit matching the flag.

The kit is manufactured and supplied by Rugbytech (a division of Irish sports store chain Elverys), and the main shirt sponsors are Mazda.

Representative Senior Clubs

In the AIB League

AIB League

The Ulster Bank All-Ireland League is the national league system for the 48 senior rugby union clubs in Ireland, covering both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is not, however, the highest level of rugby union in Ireland, as teams representing the four provinces of Ireland play...

, Connacht is represented by Galwegians RFC

Galwegians RFC

Galwegians Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club in Galway, Ireland. The club was founded in 1922 and plays in the second tier of the top division of the Irish domestic club competition the All-Ireland League....

and Buccaneers RFC

Buccaneers RFC

Buccaneers Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club in Athlone, Ireland. The club's colours are Black and Gold. They compete in Division 1B of the AIB League for 2009/2010.- History :...

in Division 1B. Connacht's other senior clubs are Galway Corinthians RFC

Galway Corinthians RFC

Galway Corinthians Rugby Football Club is a rugby club in Galway, Ireland. The club was founded in 1932 and plays in the Second division of the Irish domestic club competition the Allied Irish Banks All Ireland League . The Club's home ground is at Corinthian Park, Cloonacauneen, Co...

in Division 2 and Connemara RFC

Connemara RFC

Connemara RFC is an Irish rugby team based in Clifden, Connacht. They play in Division 2B of the All-Ireland League. The club colour is black, based on the colours of the New Zealand national rugby team...

who are playing in Division 3.

Provincial Honours

{|border="0" cellpadding="10"
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{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="background:#f7f8ff;" 95%;
|- style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"
||Competition
||Championships
||Best Result
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|Irish Inter-Provinical Championship|| 2 || Champions:
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|Celtic League

Celtic League (rugby union)

The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....

|| 0 || 9th: 2003–04
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|Heineken Cup

Heineken Cup

|| 0 || N/A — first appearance in 2011–12
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|European Challenge Cup

European Challenge Cup

|| 0 || Semi-finalists: 2003–04, 2004–05 & 2009–10
|}

Celtic League History

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
| colspan=12 | Celtic League results
|-
! Year !! Played !! Win !! Draw !! Loss !! PF !! PA !! Diff !! BP !! Points !! Place
|-
! 2010/11
| 22 || 7 || 1 || 14 || 394 || 459 || −65 || 9 || 39 || 9th
|-
! 2009/10
|18|| 5 || 1 || 12 || 254 || 459 || – 205 || 4 || 26 || 10th
|-
! 2008/09
|18|| 4 || 0 || 14 || 224 || 460 || – 236 || 4 || 20 || 10th
|-
! 2007/08
|18|| 5 || 1 || 12 || 214 || 396 || – 182 || 2 || 24|| 10th
|-
! 2006/07
|20|| 4 || 2 || 14 || 326 || 474 || – 148 || 6 || 26|| 10th
|-
! 2005/06
|22|| 6 || 0 || 14 || 325 || 466 || – 141 || 5 || 37|| 10th
|-
! 2004/05
|20|| 7 || 1 || 12 || 317 || 407 || – 90 || 7 || 37|| 10th
|-
! 2003/04
|22|| 8 || 2 || 12 || 479 || 550 || −71 || 8 || 44|| 9th
|}

Coaches in Professional Era

Coaches
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:90%; width:70%; border:0; text-align:left; line-height:150%;"
|-
! style="height:17px; background:#red; color:#navy; width:250px;"| Name
! style="height:17px; background:#red; color:#navy; width:150px;"| Start
! style="height:17px; background:#red; color:#navy; width:150px;"| Finish
|-
!Eric Elwood

Eric Elwood

Eric Elwood is a former rugby union player and was capped first for Ireland while playing for Connacht and Lansdowne before he returned to Galwegians RFC, the club of his youth....

|| 2010 / 2011 || –
|-
!Michael Bradley || 2003 / 04 || 2009 / 10
|-
!Steph Nel || 2000 / 01 || 2003 / 04
|-
!Warren Gatland

Warren Gatland

Warren David Gatland is a former New Zealand rugby footballer and the current head coach of the Wales national team.Gatland was born in Hamilton, New Zealand and educated at Hamilton Boys' High School and Waikato University...

|| 1996 / 97 || 1998 / 99
|}

Current squad

2011-12 squad

Players qualified to play for Ireland on dual nationality or residency grounds*.
Senior 15's internationally capped players in bold.

Players In Season 2011/12

George Naoupu from

Kobe Steel

Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers

Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers are a Japanese rugby union team owned by Kobe Steel, Ltd., and based in Kobe. They were the first ever Top League champions when the League started in the 2003-4 season...

Niall O'Connor

Niall O'Connor is a rugby union player for Connacht Rugby in the RaboDirect Pro12.He is also contracted to Belfast Harlequins who play in AIB League Division 2.O'Connor's position of choice is as a Fly-half....

from Ulster

Ulster Rugby

Ulster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Ulster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Belfast, representing the Irish province of Ulster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...

Mark McCrea

Mark McCrea born 7 September 1987 in Belfast, Northern Ireland is a rugby union player for Connacht in the RaboDirect Pro12 competition.McCrea signed a year and a half professional contract in January 2008 which will keep him at Ravenhill until June 2009...

from Ulster

Ulster Rugby

Matthew Jarvis* from

OspreysJames Loxton* from

Cardiff Blues

Cardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club....

TJ Anderson from Ulster

Ulster Rugby

Stewart Maguire from Leinster

Leinster Rugby

Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...

AcademyEthienne Reynecke

Ethienne Reynecke

Ethienne Reynecke is a South African rugby union footballer who formerly played for the Western Province provincial team and the Stormers Super 14 team. He joined Connacht on a 2 year deal for the 2011/12 season.- External links :*...

from

Saracens

Saracens F.C.

Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...

Fetu'u Vainikolo

Fetu'u Moana Vainikolo is a Tongan rugby union player. Noted for his explosive ball-carrying ability, he represented the Highlanders in the Super 14 competition between 2008 and 2010...

from HighlandersDavid Moore from

Harlequins

Harlequin F.C.

The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...

Eoin McKeon promoted from AcademyPaul O'Donohoe

Paul O'Donohoe

Paul O'Donohoe is a professional rugby union player. O'Donohoe plays at scrum half for Connacht Rugby after signing from Leinster Rugby in the Summer of 2011...

from Leinster

Leinster Rugby

Eoghan Grace from

Exeter Chiefs

Exeter Rugby Club are a rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon.The Exeter club was formed around 1871 and played its first match in 1873. The first team has been rebranded as the Exeter Chiefs and play in a strip of Black , White ....

Henry Fa'afili from

Leeds CarnegieDavid Gannon

David Gannon

David Gannon is an Irish rugby union player who currently plays for RaboDirect PRO12 side Connacht Rugby after a season with the Southland Stags in the 2009 Air New Zealand Cup.-Rugby History:...

from Exeter Chiefs

Exeter Chiefs

Players Out Season 2011/12

Ian Keatley

Ian James T. Keatley is an Irish rugby union player for Munster in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup. He was capped by Ireland on their 2009 tour to North America when he lined out against Canada on 23 May 2009....

to Munster

Munster Rugby

Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...

Sean Cronin

Seán Cronin

Seán Cronin was a journalist and former Irish Army officer and twice Irish Republican Army chief of staff.Cronin was born in Dublin in 1920 but spent his childhood years in Ballinskelligs, in the County Kerry Gaeltacht....

to Leinster

Leinster Rugby

Jamie Hagan

Jamie Hagan is an Irish rugby player for Leinster in the RaboDirect Pro12 having signed from Connacht in November 2011. Jamie's playing position is Prop. Jamie is from Balbriggan in Dublin. Jamie signed for Connacht in 2009 from the Leinster Rugby Academy. Jamie has represented Ireland at a Youth,...

to Leinster

Leinster Rugby

Mike McCormish to Ulster

Ulster Rugby

Conor O'Loughlin

Conor O'Loughlin is a former Irish rugby union player for Connacht in the Magners League. He played at scrum half.- References :...

retired due to injuryFionn Carr

Fionn Carr

Fionn Carr is an Irish rugby union player. Carr currently plays for Leinster, who play in the RaboDirect Pro12 competition, involving teams from Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and Italy. Carr has represented Ireland at Schools, Under 19's, under 21's and at A level. He plays as a winger or...

to Leinster

Leinster Rugby

Troy Nathan

Troy Nathan is a professional New Zealand-born rugby union player. The highlight of his career was playing for the Connemara All-Blacks. He then played for Connacht and is currently playing rugby for Glasgow Warriors. He is qualified to play for Ireland.Nathan played in the Super 14 & Air New...

Glasgow Warriors

The Glasgow Warriors, formerly Glasgow Rugby, are one of two professional rugby union teams in Scotland, Edinburgh being the other. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12 and their home ground is Firhill Stadium, also the home of Partick Thistle Football Club.-History:Glasgow Rugby were created to...

Cillian Willis

Cillian Willis is a professional rugby union footballer employed by Leinster Rugby for whom he plays his provincial rugby. He previously played for University College Dublin RFC...

retiredBernie Upton to

Toshiba Brave Lupus

Toshiba Brave Lupus is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. They are based in Fuchu, Tokyo, as is their local rival Suntory Sungoliath. They won the second ever Top League championship in the 2004-5 season and the Microsoft Cup in 2005 under their innovative and inventive coach Masahiro...

Niva Ta'auso

Niva Ta'auso is a Samoan New Zealand rugby union player. His position is Centre. He plays for Connacht in the Magners League.-Super Rugby:Ta'auso started out for the Chiefs in the Super 14 in 2005 against the Sharks. In three seasons Ta'auso had played 16 matches and scored 25 points. Now in 2008...

Counties Manukau

Counties Manukau Rugby Union

The Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Franklin district of New Zealand. The Steelers colours are red, white, and black horizontal bands. The 'Steelers' moniker is a reference to the nearby Glenbrook steel factory...

Aidan Wynne to Leinster AIL ClubShane Monahan to

Rotherham R.U.F.C.

Rotherham Rugby Union Football Club, or Rotherham Titans are a professional rugby union team from Rotherham, Yorkshire, currently playing in the English RFU Championship-History:...

Darragh Fanning to

Tuggeranong Vikings

The Tuggeranong Vikings are a rugby union club based in Tuggeranong, Australian Capital Territory. It is supported by 5 licensed clubs based in Wanniassa, Greenway, Conder, Chisholm and Narrabundah. The club has been successful in the local, and national competitions...

Liam BiboEzra Taylor

Ireland

The following Connacht players have represented Ireland

Ireland national rugby union team

The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...

at full international level.

{|
|- style="vertical-align:top"
||

Peter Bracken
Peter Bracken
Peter Bracken is a professional rugby union prop.In his formative rugby years he played for Tullamore RFC and also at St. Andrew's College, Dublin where he attended on Scholarship....
Tony Buckley
Tony Buckley
Tony "Mushy" Buckley is an Irish rugby union player from Newmarket, County Cork, who plays tighthead prop for Sale in the Aviva Premiership and for Ireland. He is currently one of the heaviest men playing professional rugby, weighing in at 21 st 5 lbs or 135 kilograms. He wears size 16 boots...
Kieran Campbell
Kieran Campbell
Kieran Campbell is a former Irish scrumhalf who currently plays for Connacht in the Magners League. Born in Hillingdon to an Irish father and Sri Lankan mother he was a key player for Gunnersbury Catholic School and helped them reach the last eight of the Daily Mail school's cup and to win the...
Victor Costello
Victor Costello
Victor Costello is a retired Irish rugby player and Olympic shot-putter. Playing senior rugby throughout the 1990s until his retirement in 2005, his rugby career with Leinster and Ireland straddled the amateur and professional eras...
Sean Cronin
Sean Cronin (rugby union)
Sean Cronin is an Irish player for Leinster in the Celtic League. Cronin was educated at Ardscoil Ris in Limerick and has previously played with Shannon RFC and Munster Rugby where he had progressed through their academy to a development contract...
Gavin Duffy
Johnny Dooley
Pat Duignan
Pat Duignan
Patrick Duignan is a former rugby footballer, an Irish representative three-quarter who played in two pool matches of the 1998 Rugby World Cup....
Eric Elwood
Eric Elwood
Eric Elwood is a former rugby union player and was capped first for Ireland while playing for Connacht and Lansdowne before he returned to Galwegians RFC, the club of his youth....
Ciaran Fitzgerald
Ciaran Fitzgerald
Ciaran Fitzgerald in Loughrea, County Galway is a former Irish rugby union footballer and coach of the national team.- Biography :...

Jerry Flannery
Jerry Flannery
Jeremiah Paul "Jerry" Flannery is an Irish rugby union player who plays at Hooker for Munster and Ireland.-Early career:...
Simon Geoghegan
Simon Geoghegan
Simon Patrick Geoghegan is a former Irish rugby union footballer who played at wing in England for London Irish and Bath and in the Irish Inter-provincial Championships for Connacht Rugby and the Exiles...
Brendan Guerin
Bernard Jackman
Bernard Jackman
Bernard Jackman is an Irish former rugby union player who played for Leinster. At international level, he has also played for Ireland.-Early career:...
Ian Keatley
Ian Keatley
Ian James T. Keatley is an Irish rugby union player for Munster in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup. He was capped by Ireland on their 2009 tour to North America when he lined out against Canada on 23 May 2009....
Charles Lydon
Noel Mannion
Mark McHugh
Ray McLoughlin
Ray McLoughlin
Raymond John "Ray" McLoughlin is a former Ireland international rugby union prop. McLoughlin had a long and successful career playing for several clubs at club level, and played for Connacht at province level...
Matt Mostyn

John Muldoon
Mike McCarthy
Mike McCarthy (rugby union)
Michael "Mike" McCarthy is a professional rugby union player. He plays provincial rugby for Connacht. He can play as a second row or flanker.-Career:...
Johnny O'Connor
Johnny O'Connor
Johnny O'Connor is a rugby union player for Connacht in the RaboDirect Pro12, and his position of choice is as a Flanker.He has played for Wasps in the Guinness Premiership before returning to Connacht....
John O'Driscoll
Tony O'Sullivan
Eoin Reddan
Eoin Reddan
Eoin Reddan is an Irish rugby union player who plays at scrum half. He attended school at Crescent College Comprehensive where he captained the school side. On leaving school he studied at the University of Limerick....
Richard "Dickie" Roche
Jim Staples
Jim Staples (rugby player)
James Edward Staples is a former Irish rugby union footballer. He played as a fullback.He had 26 caps for Ireland, scoring 5 tries and 2 conversions, 25 points in aggregate. He played club rugby for London Irish and Harlequins...
Stephen Blake-Knox
Tom Tierney
Tom Tierney
Tom Tierney is a retired Irish rugby union player. He played at scrum-half for Richmond, Garryowen, Munster, Galwegians, Connacht and Ireland. He won eight international caps in 1999 and 2000. Currently he his Head Coach with Clanwilliam F.C in Tipperary Town....

British and Irish Lions

The following Connacht players have also represented the British and Irish Lions

British and Irish Lions

The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...

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Ray McLoughlin
Ray McLoughlin
Raymond John "Ray" McLoughlin is a former Ireland international rugby union prop. McLoughlin had a long and successful career playing for several clubs at club level, and played for Connacht at province level...

: 1966
1966 British Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand
In 1966 the British Lions toured Australia and New Zealand. The Lions won the two test matches against but lost all four internationals against the All Blacks....
John O'Driscoll: 1980
1980 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1980 the British Lions rugby union team toured South Africa . The tour was not a success in terms of international results, the Lions losing the first three tests before salvaging some pride with a win in the fourth...

, 1983
1983 British Lions tour to New Zealand
In 1983 the British and Irish Lions toured New Zealand for the first time since 1977. The Lions went down to a 4-0 whitewash for only the second time in history - the previous was also inflicted by the All Blacks on the 1966 Lions. Overall the Lions played eighteen matches, winning twelve and...
Ciaran Fitzgerald
Ciaran Fitzgerald
Ciaran Fitzgerald in Loughrea, County Galway is a former Irish rugby union footballer and coach of the national team.- Biography :...

: 1983
1983 British Lions tour to New Zealand
In 1983 the British and Irish Lions toured New Zealand for the first time since 1977. The Lions went down to a 4-0 whitewash for only the second time in history - the previous was also inflicted by the All Blacks on the 1966 Lions. Overall the Lions played eighteen matches, winning twelve and...

Overseas Internationals

Warwick Waugh Robbie Morris

Robbie Morris

Robbie Morris is a former rugby union player.Morris' position of choice was as a prop; he could play at both tighthead and loosehead.He quit rugby in 2010 due to a back injury.-External links:***...

Gavin Williams Eric Peters

Eric Peters

Eric Peters was an amateur and professional rugby union player, usually playing at No8, who rose to captain the Scotland national rugby union team.-Early life:...

Ofisa Treviranus Ray Ofisa

Club & Schools Competitions

Club

Connacht Senior Cup
Connacht Senior League
Connacht Junior Cup
Connacht Junior Cup
Connacht Junior Cup is a rugby union knockout cup competition for clubs which do not have senior status in the Irish province of Connacht, the First XV's of "Senior" clubs participate in the All Ireland League competition while the First XV's of "Junior" clubs participate in their provincial...

Schools

Connacht Schools Senior Cup
Connacht Schools Junior Cup
Connacht Schools Junior Cup
The Connacht Schools Junior Challenge Cup is an under-age rugby union competition for schools affiliated to the Connacht Branch of the IRFU....

External links

Sources

Various information is taken from "Rugby in Connacht" written by Galway sports journalist Ralph O'Gorman and published by Kenny's Bookshop, Galway.
IRFU Annual Report 2007-2008
IRFU Annual Report 2006-2007
IRFU Annual Report 2005-2006
IRFU Annual Report 2004-2005

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

History

Development Team Status

Galway Sportsground

2011-2012

Colours and Logo

Representative Senior Clubs

Provincial Honours

Celtic League History

Coaches in Professional Era

Current squad

Players In Season 2011/12

Players Out Season 2011/12

Ireland

British and Irish Lions

Overseas Internationals

Club & Schools Competitions

See also

External links

Sources