Fogarty named new Connacht captain

Hooker John Fogarty will captain Connacht for the new season.

The Ireland A international, who is now in his fourth season with Connacht, says he is delighted with the honour.

“It is a huge honour for me. I have really enjoyed my three seasons to date with Connacht and to be asked to captain the side is a great honour. I am really looking forward to it,” said the Buccaneers clubman who played 28 times for Connacht last season.

It has been a memorable year for Fogarty. He received his first Ireland A cap against France earlier this year and went on to star in the Churchill Cup campaign in the United States and Canada.

During the close season he got married to fiancee Sinead Garrett from Newbridge in Co Kildare.

“It has been a brilliant year, on and off the pitch. I cannot wait for the new season to start. We have a talented young side and are looking for a good start to the Magners League.

“We start away to Borders and then have six games at home on the trot.

“It will be hectic but we have had a good pre-season and are looking to hit the ground running,” said Fogarty.

Born in Cork, Fogarty moved to Tipperary when he was two and is a product of Cashel RFC and Rockwell College.

He won a schoolboys Triple Crown in 1996 and travelled on an unbeaten tour of Australia that season. He was capped at U21 level and currently has five A Ireland caps.

Fogarty, who also played for Cork Constitution, was part of the Munster squad that was defeated in the Heineken Cup final against Leicester in 2002.

His younger brother Denis won a Heineken Cup medal with Munster this year.