Squad Update | Pre-Season Training Programme Begins At HPC

21st July 2025 By The Editor

Conor Ryan has joined after impressing with UCC in the AIL. Inpho

The Munster squad have started week one of the pre-season training programme at the HPC as preparations for the 2025/26 season begin under new Head Coach Clayton McMillan.

Munster have two pre-season fixtures, away to Gloucester on Friday, September 5 (7.30pm), and at home to Bath at Virgin Media Park on Friday, September 12 (7pm). Buy Munster v Bath tickets here.

The team had a seven-week off-season after a 2024/25 campaign that ended in Durban at the quarter-final stage of the URC on May 31.

New signings JJ Hanrahan, Dan Kelly and Conor Ryan have joined the squad at the HPC with Lee Barron and Ireland international Michael Milne also joining permanently having spent the final months of last season on loan at the province. Milne earned his first two Ireland caps against Georgia and Portugal this month and will rejoin the squad later in the summer.

Fionn Gibbons, Shay McCarthy, Evan O’Connell, Ruadhán Quinn and Kieran Ryan move up to the senior squad after graduating from the Munster Rugby Academy.

Along with Milne, Tom Ahern, Craig Casey, Gavin Coombes, Jack Crowley, Alex Kendellen and Calvin Nash returned from Portugal two weeks ago after Ireland’s second summer test. They have started their respective off-seasons.

Brian Gleeson, Diarmuid Kilgallen and O’Connell all trained with the Ireland squad this summer and returned to the HPC today.

Tadhg Beirne is on tour with the British and Irish Lions and won the Player of the Match award in the first Test against Australia on Saturday.

Academy members returned to the HPC last week to begin their preparations for the upcoming campaign. Ireland U20 internationals Michael Foy, Conor Kennelly, Oisín Minogue, Luke Murphy, Gene O’Leary Kareem, Eoghan Smyth and Tom Wood have returned from Italy after the final game of the U20 World Championship against Spain on Saturday and have started their off-season.

Emmet Calvey, Kennelly, Minogue, Smyth and Wood are the new additions to the Academy. For more information on our new Academy recruits, click here.