Connacht Academy Trio Sign First Professional Contracts
Versatile young back Seán Naughton is pictured scoring a try for Connacht against the Vodacom Bulls earlier in the season ©Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile
Connacht Rugby has announced that three Academy players – Fiachna Barrett, Seán Naughton, and Matthew Victory – have signed their first professional contracts for the 2026/27 season.
A native of Geesala, County Mayo, Barrett is a powerful tighthead prop who has gained significant exposure to the professional environment in the past 18 months.
The 22-year-old made his senior debut for Connacht against Zebre Parma in the EPCR Challenge Cup in December 2024, and has played a further six games off the bench so far this season.
Naughton also made his debut in that same clash with Zebre, and is another Year 3 Academy player who has greatly impressed when stepping up to senior level.
The Galway native (21) featured in the province’s opening six matches of the current campaign, scoring two tries from full-back while also providing depth at out-half.
Hooker Victory joined the Connacht Academy in 2023 and has made notable progress across his three years in the pathway system.
The 22-year-old, who has been playing with promotion-chasing Galwegians this season, won his first Connacht senior cap off the bench in this month’s EPCR Challenge Cup encounter with Montpellier.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Connacht head coach Stuart Lancaster said: “I’m a firm believer in integration between the professional and Academy set-ups, and in Fiachna, Seán, and Matthew, we have three players who are richly deserving of joining the senior set-up from next season.
“There’s a huge amount of potential in Connacht’s younger players, and the three lads, in particular, have always impressed in training and never looked out of place in the wider senior squad.
“I know they’ll have benefited hugely from their exposure to some matchday squads in this campaign, and that will stand to them when they take the next step next season.”