Conor Galvin takes up new CDO role

Connacht Rugby are delighted to announce the appointment of Conor Galvin as Coach Development Officer with responsibility for clubs to the east of the province.

Conor has been employed in various roles with Connacht over the past seven years, most recently in the innovative and successful Galway Schools Project. He introduced rugby in a number of primary schools and initiated rugby programmes in St. Mary's and Claregalway secondary schools, dramatically increasing Galway's playing population.

He has worked closely with coaches in NUIG, Corinthians, Tuam and Galwegians, where their feedback is a testament his ability and work ethic.

On his appointment, Conor Galvin said: "I would like to thank everyone involved in the clubs and schools in and around Galway City for their relentless efforts to develop rugby in the area.

"I received fantastic support and constantly saw first hand the passion people have for rugby in Galway.  I am very excited about my new role where I hope to continue the incredible and tireless work of Charlie Couper. There is so much amazing work going on in clubs and schools here and I hope to support the coaches and players in any way I can in the future."

Conor replaces longstanding CDO Charlie Couper, who retired towards the end of last season. In a true Grassroots to Green Shirts career, Charlie's roles have spanned initiating mini rugby in schools to coaching the Connacht senior forwards.

Coach Development Manager Eamonn Molloy said: "It would be unfair to attempt to recognise Charlie's impact on rugby development in a few words. Developing players has been a vocation to Charlie and Connacht have been fortunate to harvest the fruits of that labour, fittingly in the year of his retirement one of his many students, Robbie Henshaw, became a British & Irish Lion.

"We expect him to continue to be an integral part of the Athlone rugby community and wish him well in his retirement."

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