Connacht Pay Tribute To Milestone Man Muldoon
As John Muldoon prepares to make his 300th appearance for the province at the Sportsground tonight, Connacht Rugby have paid tribute to their captain who becomes the first Irish player to reach the milestone.
John Muldoon, who hails from Portumna, Co. Galway, made his senior Connacht debut in the 2003/04 season and has since played 299 competitive games for his home province, including 67 European appearances.
The highest capped player, both for Connacht and in the GUINNESS PRO12, the 34-year-old has featured in 24 of Connacht’s 26 games so far this season, starting in all but one. As well as the highest number of games, he has played the most minutes in the PRO12’s history.
In January of this year, Muldoon signed a new contract for the 2017/18 season, extending his professional career at Connacht to an impressive 15 seasons. This current season marks his sixth as captain of the westerners.
Connacht CEO Willie Ruane paid tribute to Muldoon and the impact he has had on the team and the province, saying: “So much has been said about John Mul this week and down through the years and he deserves all the accolades and more. He is the ultimate Connacht man and we are truly delighted for him and his family that he has reached this impressive milestone for his home province.
“He is a proud and passionate Connacht man and having taken up rugby in his teens, playing for Nenagh and then Galwegians, he went on to represent Connacht and Ireland. He is the epitome of our ‘Grassroots to Green Shirts’ vision and a huge inspiration for every young player throughout the province.
“Indeed, he inspires his own team-mates week in, week out and has done over the past 14 years with his hard work, determination and respect for the jersey. Anyone who knows him will tell you that he is honest and speaks from the heart. He strives to get the best out of himself and he expects the same from everyone around him.
“It’s a massive achievement to play 300 times for any team, particularly your home province, and although I know John will treat it as any other game and prepare as he always does, he should be incredibly proud of everything he has achieved so far in his career.”