Ciarán Mangan made nine starts for the Ireland Under-20s this year, playing on the wing and at outside centre ©INPHO/Ben Brady
The Leinster Rugby Academy for 2025/26 has been confirmed this afternoon by Academy Manager Simon Broughton.
While some Senior and Academy players have already been back for their first block of pre-season training since earlier this month, the final group of Academy players, who were involved with the Ireland Under-20 Men’s squad, are not due back for another few weeks.
The new additions to the Leinster Rugby Academy for 2025/26 are:
TADHG BROPHY
Kildare native Brophy started off his rugby career with Newbridge RFC, before going on to attend Newbridge College. Growing up he also played Gaelic football with Kilcullen GAA.
The talented scrum half has been capped at age-grade level by Leinster and Ireland, and also played with the Ireland Sevens team. He mentions Johnne Murphy as a coach who has had a huge impact on his career to date.
JACK DEEGAN
Born in England, having moved home, Deegan attended Ballyadams National School and then started his rugby journey with Newbridge RFC. He also played Gaelic football with St. Joseph’s and hurling with Ratheniska in Laois.
Having attended Cistercian College Roscrea, his love of rugby took off and he has been capped at age-grade level by Leinster and Ireland. The powerful 6ft 2in centre will play his Energia All-Ireland League rugby with Blackrock College.
CONNOR FAHY
Having attended Gaelscoil Charman in Wexford town, Fahy went on to Good Counsel College, New Ross where he won the McMullen Cup. His club rugby journey started with Wexford Wanderers RFC, before representing Enniscorthy in the Energia All-Ireland League while studying for his Leaving Cert.
The centre won a Division 1A title with Clontarf in 2025, as well as representing the Ireland U-20s. He references a number of coaches that have impacted his career so far.
They include Des Dempsey, Eoin Reynolds, and James O’Connor in Wexford Wanderers, Helen Bolger and Colm O’Loughlin in Good Counsel, and more recently Brett Igoe with Enniscorthy, Clontarf’s Andy Wood, and Eoin Sheriff.
PAIDI FARRELL
Farrell is from Edenderry, County Offaly, and represented the Offaly Gaelic footballers growing up as well as playing his rugby with Tullamore RFC. He was also a talented athlete and won All-Ireland medals in the 100 metres, hurdles, and relays.
Having represented Leinster and Ireland at age-grade level, including at the recent World Rugby U-20 Championship, he credits Conor Bates and Johnny Burns in Tullamore RFC, and the late, great Dave Fagan, a fellow Edenderry man, as being key people in his development.
LEE FITZPATRICK
Fitzpatrick, who plays as a hooker, started his rugby journey in Portarlington RFC, and went to school in Cistercian College Roscrea, before moving to Newbridge College.
Having already represented Leinster and Ireland at Under-18 level, the Laois native was named in the Ireland Under-18 Schools squad that will tour South Africa next month for a series of games against South African and Georgian international teams.
TODD LAWLOR
Utility back Lawlor started off playing rugby in Naas RFC, before attending Newbridge College. A talented basketball and soccer player growing up, representing Shamrock Rovers at underage level, he won the Bank of Ireland Leinster Schools Junior Cup in 2021 with Newbridge.
He has played for Leinster and Ireland at U-18 and U-19 level, and an untimely injury scuppered his chances of playing at the recent World Rugby U-20 Championship. His father Phil is a former Leinster and Ireland player.
CIARAN MANGAN
Mangan can play in the centre or on the wing, and is the younder brother of Diarmuid who is already in the Leinster senior squad. He started playing rugby with Naas RFC before going to school in Newbridge College. A talented underage GAA player, he lined out with the Sallins club in Kildare.
He was part of the Newbridge squad that won Junior Cups in 2020 (shared with Blackrock College due to Covid-19), and in 2021. He has represented Leinster and Ireland at age-grade level, and played in this year’s U-20 Six Nations and World Rugby U-20 Championship.
ALEX MULLAN
Mullan played mini rugby with Blackrock College RFC, before going to school at Blackrock College. As a prop forward, it is no surprise to see that he lists Seamus Toomey as a coach who had a huge influence on him growing up, while also taking inspiration from his parents, and his uncle who played representative rugby for Spain.
He has represented Leinster and Ireland at age-grade level, and played for the Ireland U-20s in 2024 and again this year.
MAHON RONAN
Ronan played a lot of GAA growing up in his local club, St. Fechin’s, in Louth, but it was in Boyne RFC that his love of rugby was nurtured, in particular under the tutelage of James O’Neill, and later on Kevin McCleary and Vic Ball, two other coaches that left a mark on the powerful second row.
He is also a cousin of former Leinster, Munster and Ireland back rower Niall Ronan. He was a member of the Ireland U-20 squad this year, playing in both the U-20 Six Nations and the World Rugby U-20 Championship, and has also lined out for Leinster ‘A’.
Year One:
(Energia All-Ireland League Clubs in brackets) –
Tadhg Brophy (Lansdowne FC)
Jack Deegan (Blackrock College RFC)
Connor Fahy (Clontarf FC)
Páidí Farrell (Old Wesley RFC)
Lee Fitzpatrick (Blackrock College RGC)
Todd Lawlor (Lansdowne FC)
Ciarán Mangan (Blackrock College RFC)
Alex Mullan (Blackrock College RFC)
Mahon Ronan (Old Wesley RFC)
Year Two:
Oliver Coffey (Blackrock College RFC)
Billy Corrigan (Old Wesley RFC)
Caspar Gabriel (Terenure College RFC)
Hugo McLaughlin (Lansdowne FC)
Ruben Moloney (UCD RFC)
Alan Spicer (UCD RFC)
Andrew Sparrow (UCD RFC)
Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley RFC)
Year Three:
Henry McErlean (Terenure College RFC)
Liam Molony (Dublin University FC)
Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC)
Promoted To Senior Contracts –
Hugh Cooney
Fintan Gunne
Diarmuid Mangan
Gus McCarthy
Andrew Osborne
Niall Smyth
Charlie Tector
Alex Usanov
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