Scannell To Retire At End Of Season

Niall Scannell has today announced that he will retire from professional rugby at the end of the season, after making a huge contribution to Munster Rugby over the past 13 years.

The 33-year-old Cork native is Munster’s most-capped hooker of all-time and one of just 17 players to have made 200 or more senior appearances for the province.

To date, he has made 208 appearances for Munster, scoring 23 tries. On the international stage, he earned 20 Ireland caps and featured in four games at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Announcing the news, Scannell said: “It’s been a dream journey but the time has come to hang up the boots. I’m finishing this chapter with nothing but gratitude.

“I’m honoured to have been able to play my whole professional career with my home club, with some of my best friends, my brother (Rory), and my cousin (Jack O’Sullivan).

“It has been a dream come true to represent Munster as many times as I have, and it was a particular highlight to be able to represent my country.

“The support I have received throughout my career made it all possible. In particular I’d like to thank all those at PBC Cork and Dolphin RFC that helped me excel into the professional game.

“To my parents, Bill and Emer, who have done everything possible to support all of us in whatever passion we chose. Without all their love and encouragement this would never have been possible.

“I’d especially like to thank my wife Maeve. It’s only because of her unwavering love, support, and sacrifices that I could have made my career possible. For that I will always be grateful. Now it is time to give back to my family and spend more time with my two little boys.

“Finally, to the best fans in the world. I’ve had so many special days in a Munster jersey and they were made special by you. It was a privilege.

“I am excited to discover what the next chapter holds, but for now it’s back to work and to finish this season strong.”

Munster head coach Clayton McMillan commented: “Playing at the highest level in such an attritional position is a fantastic achievement, and Niall will have a big role to play in his final months at Munster.

“He is one of the leaders in our group and makes a massive contribution on and off the field. He takes great pride in representing his home province, and he’s one of those players you can always rely on.

“It’s pretty unique to have two brothers play 200-plus games for the same team, and I was delighted to see him follow his brother Rory in reaching the special landmark this season.

“We will celebrate his great career at the end of the season but thankfully there is a long way to go yet, and I know Niall is determined to finish on a high.”

Scannell joined the Munster Rugby Academy in 2011 after captaining PBC Cork to the Pinergy Munster Schools Senior Cup title in 2010.

He captained the Ireland Under-20s at the 2012 World Rugby U-20 Championship in South Africa, and made his British and Irish Cup debut for Munster ‘A’ in January 2013.

The 2015/16 season proved to be a breakthrough year as he made 23 appearances, starting 10 games for a total of 753 minutes of senior rugby, including a Champions Cup debut against Leicester Tigers at Thomond Park.

Joined by his brother Rory in the starting line-up, the Scannells become the first set of brothers to start for Munster in the PRO12 in a December 2015 clash with the Dragons at Rodney Parade.

He continued to flourish in 2016/17, making 26 Munster appearances and earning an Ireland debut as a starter in the Six Nations encounter with Italy in Rome before featuring in the remaining four games.

Scannell’s impressive form earned him a nomination for the Munster Rugby Player of the Year award in 2017. Included in the Ireland squad for that year’s summer tour, he played all three Tests and scored his first international try against the USA.

In that same game, he and younger brother Rory became the first Munster brothers to play for Ireland together in the professional era. he finished the 2017/18 season with 24 appearances to his name, before helping Ireland to a historic series win in Australia.

He made Ireland’s Rugby World Cup squad that travelled to Japan in 2019 and played four times.

A popular squad member and leader, Scannell first captained Munster against Zebre in February 2020, with the team also including his sibling Rory and cousin Jack.

An excellent 2022/23 campaign was capped off with a memorable BKT United Rugby Championship title success, as Niall made 22 appearances over the season, including 15 starts.

He made 14 appearances in 2023/24, starting at hooker in the URC quarter-final and semi-final. Last season he had his second highest number of appearances in a single season with 24, fourteen of which were as a starter.

An invaluable member of the Munster squad for over a decade, Scannell has made 192 appearances over the past 10 years. He reached his landmark 200th cap away to the Scarlets in this season’s URC opener.