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Connacht Rugby have continued preparations for next season by announcing contract extensions for three home-grown players - Darragh Murray, Cathal Forde and John Devine.
Murray and Forde have both signed two-year deals while John Devine has renewed for the 2026/27 season.
A product of the Connacht pathway system at Buccaneers RFC and the Connacht Academy, Darragh Murray has made 51 appearances for the club since his debut in October 2022 against Ospreys. His consistent performances from the second row earned him a well-deserved call-up to the Ireland squad for last summer’s test matches against Georgia and Portugal, in which he started both games. He was also a starter for the Ireland ‘A’ team in the win over Spain during the recent November international window.
Cathal Forde meanwhile has been an ever-present member in the matchday 23 over recent years. An out-half while coming through the ranks at Corinthians RFC and The Jes, Forde has more recently excelled as both an inside and outside centre. In total the 24-year old has already played 64 games for his home province, while on the international front he played all five games for Ireland in the 2021 U20 Six Nations, and came off the bench for Ireland ‘A’ against Spain late last year.
Finally John Devine signed his first professional contract last year, having come through three years in the Connacht Academy. He made his debut against Montpellier earlier this month, coming off the bench in the Challenge Cup tie.
Connacht head coach Stuart Lancaster says:
“Darragh, Cathal and John are all perfect examples of a fully-aligned Connacht pathway system. They were given the tools and knowledge to excel in their respective clubs and schools, and then thanks to the work of Eric Elwood and his staff in the Connacht Academy, further developed their physical and technical skills ahead of their move to Professional rugby.
Darragh and Cathal are now consistently proving themselves at the highest level, and have also benefitted from international exposure either through the Ireland Senior or ‘A’ teams. John has plenty of competition for gametime at centre, but fully deserved his debut against Montpellier a few weeks back and is on the right trajectory to become another talented player produced by the Connacht pathway.”
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