Connacht Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland. Connacht competes in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the IRFU Connacht Branch, which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union throughout the geographical Irish province of Connacht.
Rugby union is a popular team sport on the island of Ireland, organised on an all-Ireland basis, including players and teams from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Its governing body, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), was founded in 1879, making it the third oldest rugby union in the world after the RFU (England) and the SRU (Scotland).
Phillip Waugh is the chief executive of Rugby Australia and a former rugby union footballer who played 136 matches in Super Rugby for the NSW Waratahs, and in 79 Test matches for the Wallabies. His usual position was openside flanker.
Patrick Richard Lam is a rugby union coach and former player. He is currently Director of Rugby at Bristol Bears in England's Premiership Rugby.
Michael Forshaw is an English rugby union coach, and former professional rugby league and rugby union player. He is currently the defence coach for the Wales national rugby union team.
Gavin Duffy is an Irish sportsman. Duffy is a former international rugby union footballer who primarily played at full back. He last played professionally for Irish provincial side Connacht Rugby, in the Pro12, and represented Ireland at full international level.
Rugby Coordinator UCC 202 present
Eric Elwood is a former Irish rugby union player from Galway. He played as a fly-half. He played for Ireland internationally, and provincially for Connacht. He was on the Coláiste Iognáid team that won the Connacht Schools Rugby Senior Cup in 1985. He split his club career between hometown club Galwegians and Lansdowne in Dublin, starting and finishing his career in Galway, with a stint playing with Lansdowne in the 1990s. Elwood earned 35 caps for Ireland, scoring 296 points for the side. He played 168 games for Connacht scoring 1,152 points. He was the first Connacht player to make 100 appearances for the side, while his points tally remained a record until being surpassed by Jack Carty in 2023. Elwood also made a single appearance for international invitational side the Barbarians before being capped by Ireland.
Andrew Bruce Farley played professional rugby union, he represented the Queensland Reds, Otago Rugby Football Union, L'Aquila Rugby, Swansea RFC, Connacht Rugby and FC Grenoble where after retiring, became GM of Rugby Operations.
Seán Cronin is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a hooker for Leinster in the United Rugby Championship. He also played for the Ireland national rugby union team.
Scott Fardy is an Australian rugby union player who last played for Leinster in the Pro14 & the European Rugby Champions Cup from 2019 to 2021 before retirement. His playing position is either lock or blindside flanker. He made his Brumbies debut in Week 1 of the 2012 Super Rugby season against the Western Force in Canberra. Prior to joining Brumbies, he played for Japanese Club Kamaishi Seawaves for 3 seasons from 2009.
Kyle Godwin is an Australian professional rugby union footballer who made his international debut for the Wallabies against France in 2016. He currently plays for French club Lyon OU Rugby in the Top 14 competition, and previously represented the Western Force and Brumbies in Super Rugby. His regular playing position is centre.
Craig Brian James Clarke is a retired rugby union player from New Zealand. He played as a lock during his career, winning two Super Rugby titles with the Chiefs where he served as captain. He also captained Taranaki in the ITM Cup. Before his retirement he was playing for the Irish provincial team Connacht in the Pro12, and served as the team captain. Clarke's ability to anticipate play and adaptability to the referee's rulings are two of his key attributes.
Jarrad Butler is an Australian professional rugby union player. He primarily plays as a flanker but also plays at number 8. Butler currently plays for Irish provincial side Connacht in the Pro14. Before joining Connacht, Butler played in Super Rugby, first for the Reds and then for the Brumbies. While playing for the Brumbies, Butler also played for National Rugby Championship the Canberra Vikings, where he served as captain.
Robert Anthony Henshaw is an Irish professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for United Rugby Championship club Leinster and the Ireland national team.
Shane Patrick O'Leary is an Irish-born professional rugby union player who represents Canada at the international level. He primarily plays at fly-half, but has also played as a centre. O'Leary currently plays for Pro D2 side Rouen, and for the Toronto Arrows in Major League Rugby (MLR).
Finlay Harry Bealham is a professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for United Rugby Championship club Connacht. Born in Australia, he represents Ireland at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.
Dominic Robertson-McCoy is a professional rugby union player from New Zealand. He primarily plays as a prop and can play at both loosehead and tighthead. Robertson-McCoy currently plays for Irish provincial side Connacht in the United Rugby Championship. He previously played at provincial level in New Zealand for Northland. Robertson-McCoy is qualified to play for Ireland at international level through his grandfather from Mowhan in County Armagh.
Tom Farrell is a rugby union player from Ireland. He primarily plays as a centre. Farrell currently plays for Irish provincial side Connacht in the Pro14. He has previously played for English club Bedford Blues in the RFU Championship as well as the London Irish 'A' team, and came through the Leinster academy.
Joe Hawkins is a Welsh international rugby union player who currently plays his club rugby at centre for Exeter Chiefs in the Premiership. Hawkins began his professional career with the Ospreys in the URC, before signing for Exeter in 2023. He represents Wales at international level, having made his test debut against Australia during the 2022 Autumn Internationals. He has 5 caps.
