Ruane: Muliaina vital to Connacht ambitions

Connacht chief executive Willie Ruane believes the arrival of All Black centurion Mils Muliaina to the province later this month will take the game in the west of Ireland to the next level.

Ruane, who was appointed to the post in May, defended the province from criticism that Connacht’s ability to sign Non Irish Qualified (NIQ) players without IRFU consent was bad for the game.

Former Munster coach Rob Penney claimed at the time of the signing: “Having been here for a couple of years, the frustration is around their ability to fund those new recruits.