 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 21 September 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of birth | Skerries, Dublin, Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 101 kg (15.9 st; 223 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Blackrock College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Conor Oliver (born 21 September 1995) is an Irish rugby union player for United Rugby Championship side Connacht. He plays as a flanker and represents Garryowen in the All-Ireland League.
Born in Skerries, Dublin, Oliver first began playing rugby for Skerries Under-8s, remaining with the club until his Leaving Cert year, when he joined Blackrock College and won the 2014 Leinster Schools Rugby Senior Cup alongside current Irish international Joey Carbery, [1] with Oliver scoring his sides opening try in their 22–17 win against Clongowes Wood College in the final. [2]
Oliver joined the Munster Academy at the beginning of the 2015–16 season, having found his options limited with his native Leinster. [3] On 19 February 2016, Oliver made his competitive debut for Munster when he came on as a replacement for Tommy O'Donnell against Glasgow Warriors in a 2015–16 Pro12 fixture. [4] On 24 September 2016, Oliver scored his first try for Munster, having come on as a replacement for injured teammate Jack O'Donoghue in a 2016–17 Pro12 fixture against Edinburgh. [5]
He started in Munster's famous 27–14 win against Māori All Blacks in Thomond Park on 11 November 2016. [6] On 24 February 2017, Oliver made his first appearance for Munster as a Number 8, starting in the position in the fixture against Scarlets. [7] On 4 March 2017, Oliver came on as a replacement for Darren O'Shea in Munster's Pro12 fixture against Cardiff Blues, scoring a try in the 76th minute, converted by Rory Scannell, to help his side secure a 23–13 away victory in Cardiff Arms Park. [8] On 31 March 2017, Oliver started for Munster A in their 2016–17 British and Irish Cup semi-final against Ealing Trailfinders, setting up Sammy Arnold's try and scoring two tries himself in the 25–9 win against the English Championship side at CIT. [9]
Oliver was Man-of-the-Match in Munster's 10–7 win against Glasgow Warriors in Irish Independent Park on 8 April 2017. [10] On 21 April 2017, Oliver started for Munster A in their British and Irish Cup final victory against Jersey Reds. [11] On 4 May 2017, it was announced that Oliver had won the 2017 John McCarthy Award for Academy Player of the Year, having been nominated by his teammates for the award alongside Dan Goggin and Brian Scott. [12] [13] On 1 June 2017, it was announced that Oliver had been promoted to the senior Munster squad ahead of the 2017–18 season. [14]
In late August 2017, Oliver underwent surgery for a shoulder injury and was ruled out until early 2018. [15] He made his return for Munster on 1 January 2018, starting against Connacht in a 2017–18 Pro14 fixture and earning the Man-of-the-Match award in Munster's 39–13 win. [16] He signed a new two-year deal with Munster in February 2018, advancing from a development to full contract. [17]
Oliver was ruled out for 14 weeks after dropping a weight on one of his toes during pre-season gym training for the 2018–19 season. [18] He made his return from the injury during Munster's Pro14 round 9 fixture against Italian side Zebre on 25 November 2018, replacing Chris Cloete during the second-half. [19]
Oliver joined Irish provincial side Connacht in July 2020, [20] and made his debut for the province in their 26–20 win against Ulster on 23 August 2020. [21]
Having been named in Ireland's squad for the 2015 Under-20's Six Nations Championship on 21 January 2015, [22] Oliver made his debut for Ireland U20 on 13 March 2015, starting for the side in their 19–12 defeat against Wales U20 at the Eirias Stadium, Colwyn Bay. [23] [24] On 25 May 2015, Oliver was selected in the Ireland Under-20 squad for the 2015 World Rugby Under 20 Championship. [25] On 6 June 2015, he started against Scotland U20 in a Pool C fixture, scoring a try in Ireland's 24–20 win, but also getting sin-binned during the game. [26] On 15 June 2015, Oliver started in the 5th-8th place play-off against Wales U20, which Ireland lost 22–12. [27]
Munster Rugby is one of the professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the IRFU's Munster Branch, which is responsible for rugby union throughout the Irish province of Munster. The team motto is "To the brave and faithful, nothing is impossible." This is derived from the motto of the MacCarthy clan – "Forti et Fideli nihil difficile". Their main home ground is Thomond Park, Limerick, though some games are played at Musgrave Park, Cork.
Billy Holland is an Irish former rugby union player, who spent his entire career playing for his native province of Munster, whilst also earning a single international cap for Ireland. He played primarily as a lock, though also played flanker occasionally, and represented Cork Constitution in the All-Ireland League.
Ian James T. Keatley is an Irish rugby union player. He plays primarily as a fly-half, but can also play as a centre or fullback.
Tommy O'Donnell is an Irish former rugby union player, who spent his entire career with his native province of Munster, whilst also earning 13 international caps for Ireland. After retiring in 2021, O'Donnell moved into coaching and joined Munster's academy staff in 2022.
Simon Zebo is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a wing or fullback for United Rugby Championship club Munster.
Christiaan Johan Stander is a South African-born Irish former rugby union player. Stander's career began in his native South Africa, where he played for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup between 2010 and 2012 and for the Bulls in Super Rugby in 2012. He moved to Irish province Munster in 2012 and, after qualifying via residency in 2015, made his debut for Ireland in 2016, going on to earn 51 caps for his adopted country, as well as 1 cap for the British & Irish Lions in 2017, before retiring in 2021.
Jacob Johannes Taute is a South African retired rugby union player. He played as a fullback or centre, he won three caps for South Africa. Taute played for the Stormers and the Lions in Super Rugby, the Golden Lions and Western Province in the Currie Cup, Munster in the Pro14 and Leicester Tigers in Premiership Rugby.
John Joseph Hanrahan is an Irish rugby union player who plays for Connacht in the United Rugby Championship. He plays primarily as a fly-half, but can also play as a centre or fullback.
Darren Sweetnam is an Irish rugby union player for French Pro D2 club Oyonnax. He plays as a wing but can also play fullback. Sweetnam is also a former inter-county hurler with Cork and has played underage hockey for Ireland.
Rory Scannell is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a centre for United Rugby Championship club Munster.
Kevin O'Byrne is an Irish rugby union player for English club Ealing Trailfinders in the RFU Championship. He plays as a hooker.
Sammy Arnold is an English-born, Irish rugby union player for French club Brive. He plays as a centre.
Stephen Fitzgerald is an Irish former rugby union player, who played for his native province Munster and Connacht during his career. Fitzgerald played primarily as a fullback, but could also play on either wing, and represented Shannon in the All-Ireland League.
Darren O'Shea is an Irish rugby union player. He plays as a lock for French Pro D2 club Vannes.
Dan Goggin is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a centre for French Pro D2 club Montauban.
Joseph Carbery is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for United Rugby Championship club Munster. Born in New Zealand, he represents Ireland at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.
Alex Wootton is an Irish rugby union player for Connacht in the United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup. He plays primarily as a wing, but can also play as a fullback.
Fineen Wycherley is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a lock for United Rugby Championship club Munster.
Shane Daly is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a wing or fullback for United Rugby Championship club Munster.
The 2020–21 Munster Rugby season was Munster's twentieth season competing in the Pro14, alongside which they also competed in the European Rugby Champions Cup. It was Johann van Graan's fourth season as head coach.