Evan O’Connell To Move Up To Munster Senior Squad On Two-Year Deal

O’Connell, who stands at 6ft 7in and weighs over 17 stone, moves up to a development contract next year and will progress to a senior contract for the 2026/27 season.

The talented second row joined the Munster Academy ahead of the 2022/23 season, and currently plays his Energia All-Ireland League rugby with Young Munster RFC, having made the switch from UL Bohemian RFC.

The former Castletroy College student lined out for the Munster Under-18 Schools team at the start of the 2021/22 season.

He captained Castletroy in the Pinergy Munster Schools Boys Senior Cup later that year before lining out for Ireland in the 2022 Under-18 Six Nations Festival.

O’Connell featured for the Munster U-19s in the 2022 Interprovincial Championship, and had two seasons with the Ireland Under-20s, winning the U-20 Six Nation Grand Slam in 2023 and captaining the team last year.

He lined out for Emerging Ireland during their tour to South Africa in October and has made four senior appearances for Munster so far this season.

The 20-year-old Limerick native made his Munster senior debut against the All Blacks XV at Thomond Park at the beginning of November, before further involvement against the Emirates Lions, Stade Francais and Ulster before Christmas.

He started on his Champions Cup debut in the pool win over Stade Francais at Thomond Park, and has also captained Munster ‘A’ this season in the IRFU 150 ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship.

Meanwhile, Munster’s Alex Kendellen, Tom Ahern, Gavin Coombes, Shane Daly and Alex Nankivell have all signed two-year contract extensions ahead of next season. O’Connell and Shay McCarthy will move up from the Academy to the senior squad.