Conor Ryan Signs New Contract

Munster Rugby and the IRFU are pleased to confirm a two-year contract extension for Conor Ryan that will keep him at the province until 2028.

The 22-year-old second-row currently plays with UCC RFC in the AIL and came up through the ranks of Clonakilty RFC.

Ryan played all of his age-grade rugby with Clonakilty, winning a South Munster U18 league title in 2022.

He started playing adult rugby in the Munster Junior League for Clonakilty as an 18-year-old in September 2022 and was a dual status player, also lining out with the UCC U20s in 2022/23.

In 2023/24, he made his AIL debut for UCC at the age of 20 alongside Ben O’Connor and Seán Edogbo, making nine appearances in the AIL over the campaign.

Last season, Ryan made his senior debut for Munster in the pre-season game against Bath at the Rec and also featured in the mid-season clash against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road, scoring a second-half try. He also played four games for Munster A in the Interprovincial Series and notched 17 AIL appearances with UCC.

Ryan signed his first contract with Munster last summer and earned his first Munster cap against Argentina XV at Thomond Park in November. He has also made three appearances for Munster A this season and has made seven appearances for UCC so far this term.

General Manager Ian Costello said: “Conor is an excellent example of the breadth of Munster’s player identification and recruitment process, a real success story.

“Conor didn’t come through what might be considered a traditional route. Central to our recruitment strategy is identifying emerging players or late developers, from within the province, particularly in the All-Ireland League. Players such as Shay Mc Carthy and Conor Bartley are good examples of players that have been identified through their consistent performances in the AIL.

“We’ve also tracked Conor (Ryan) for a long time now, and after a series of standout performances in the AIL he was identified as a player of high potential and invited into a development training group in 2023. The Academy and NTS staff do an excellent job managing the development group, which works in parallel with our traditional pathway while I must also commend the brilliant work of Clonakilty RFC and UCC RFC in helping develop Conor.

“In conjunction with being part of our development group, Conor was gradually exposed to training opportunities with our senior team over the season, followed by a full-time trial period in 2024/25. He impressed to the extent that he secured a one-year development contract this season.

“Off the back of that, he’s continued to excel physically, technically, tactically and we’re delighted to offer him a two-year contract. Conor deserves a massive amount of credit for how he has maximised this opportunity and we are genuinely excited to see him realise his potential into the future at Munster.”

Academy & Pathway Manager Gar Prendergast said: “Conor follows John Hodnett in coming through at Clonakilty RFC and UCC RFC over recent years and shows the great work being done at both clubs.

“Our clubs are massively important for player development and this is reflected in Munster consistently releasing the most players to play in the AIL each week.

“As Academy coaches, we watch as many games as possible every weekend. Along with tracking the high number of contracted players in action, we monitor all players to identify if there is anyone who has the potential to play professional rugby. With this in mind, special mention to Brendan O’Connor and all the other Academy & NTS staff who supported Conor during this period.

“Conor is the perfect example of a player who emerges a little later, has been given an opportunity off the back of strong performances for his club and taken it with both hands.

“Our clubs are a cornerstone of Munster Rugby and Conor’s elevation is further proof of the importance of our clubs in developing players.”