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Munster Confirm Two-Year Deal For Returning Hanrahan

Experienced out-half JJ Hanrahan is pictured in action recently for Connacht against last year's BKT URC winners Glasgow Warriors ©INPHO/Craig Watson

JJ Hanrahan will move back to Munster from Connacht on a two-year deal in the summer, it has been confirmed.

Munster Rugby’s third-highest points scorer of all-time with 743 points in 142 appearances, the Castleisland man will return to his home province having departed for Clermont Auvergne in 2021.

Hanrahan has spent the last two seasons at Connacht where he has scored 145 points in 23 appearances to date. He recently returned to action after recovering from an ACL injury.

The 32-year-old out-half, who can also play in the centre and at full-back, made his Munster debut against the Dragons in September 2012.

He won the province’s Young Player of the Year award in 2014, and an 88.71% success rate off the tee also saw him presented with the 2014 PRO12 Golden Boot award.

After making 64 appearances in three seasons, he joined Northampton Saints in 2015 before returning to Munster in 2017.

Hanrahan marked his 100th Munster appearance with a player-of-the-match performance in the win over Benetton in April 2019, and kicked the winning penalty from the halfway line against the same opponents in that year’s PRO14 quarter-final.

He won the PRO14 Golden Boot for the second time in the 2019/20 season, having landed 50 kicks from 55 attempts during the regular season.

He starred in Munster’s first ever victory away to Clermont Auvergne at Stade Marcel Michelin in December 2020, and was 100% accurate off the tee, scoring 24 points in the 39-31 comeback triumph.

At the end of that season, the Kerry native joined Clermont and spent a year with the French club before returning to the BKT United Rugby Champpionship with the Dragons in 2022/23.

Returning home to Munster this summer after two seasons with Connacht, Hanrahan is Munster’s fourth new signing for 2025/26, along with centre Dan Kelly, prop Michael Milne, and hooker Lee Barron.

In addition, five Academy players so far are set to move up to Munster’s senior squad next season – Fionn Gibbons, Shay McCarthy, Evan O’Connell, Ruadhán Quinn, and Kieran Ryan.