Generation game for Connacht as sons of two former players sign pro contracts on same day

NEW CONTRACTS: Hugh Gavin, whose dad Barry is a former Connacht and Galwegians captain and Matthew Devine, whose dad Mike played on the wing with the province and Buccaneers for years have both, uniquely, announced signing professional contracts on the same day.

Sunday’s Challenge Cup quarter-final away to Benetton may be Pete Wilkins’ top priority at the moment but the Connacht head coach has also been playing the generation game this week as he hands professional contracts to two young players whose fathers also played for the province.

Hugh Gavin, whose dad Barry is a former Connacht and Galwegians captain and Matthew Devine, whose dad Mike played on the wing with the province and Buccaneers for years have both, uniquely, announced signing professional contracts on the same day.

Barry Gavin and Mike Devine played during that period when the game moved from amateur to professional and now their sons look set to forage a living from the game for the foreseeable future.

Indeed scrum-half Matthew Devine, whose dad won an All-Ireland U-21 medal with his native Offaly in 1998, could be joined in the professional ranks by his younger brother John, a centre, in the coming years.

The two Devine brothers and Gavin, also a centre, have come through the school, club and academy ranks in the province. The Devines are products of Garbally College and Ballinasloe RFC, while Gavin has come through Colaiste Iognaid ‘The Jes’ in Galway city and Galwegians RFC.

The professional contracts offered to the players this week follows big performances in recent years with the successful Irish U-20 side.

Scrum-half Devine, who made his senior debut in the Champions Cup against Lyon in January and who was an unused replacement in the 40-30 Challenge Cup win in Pau on Sunday, scored four tries in the five wins as Ireland won the U-20 Six Nations Grand Slam in 2022.

“He’s an extremely talented scrum-half who is a great fit for the style of rugby we play here in Connacht, and I know he’ll only continue to get better over the coming seasons,” said Wilkins about the 22-year old.

Gavin has had two excellent U-20 Six Nations campaigns under his belt, winning a Grand Slam last year as well as reaching the U-20 World Championship final in South Africa before going down to France, while the 20-year old was one of the leaders in this year’s Six Nations squad which was pipped to the title by England.

“We’re incredibly excited by Hugh’s potential. During his age grade rugby we have seen him develop into an incredibly physical and well-rounded centre, and he will be a great asset to our senior professional squad,” added Wilkins.