Keith Wood's son Tom among five new Munster academy recruits

Ben O'Connor will spend another year with the Munster academy before stepping up to the senior squad for the 2026/27 season. 

FAMILY AFFAIR: Tom Wood, pictured with his father Keith, joins his brother Gordon in the Munster academy. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Munster have announced that there will be five new additions to their academy squad for the 2025/26 season. 

The new recruits are Emmet Calvey, Conor Kennelly, Oisín Minogue, Eoghan Smyth and Tom Wood.

Academy products Fionn Gibbons, Shay McCarthy, Evan O’Connell, Ruadhán Quinn and Kieran Ryan have been promoted to the senior squad for the upcoming season. 

Former Cork underage hurler Ben O’Connor will spend one more year in the academy before moving up to the senior squad ahead of the 2026/27 season. Prop Darragh McSweeney has had his time in the academy extended to a third season due to his development being hampered by injury. 

Out-half Wood is the son of Munster great and former Ireland captain Keith Wood. His brother, Gordon, is also an academy squad member. The 19-year-old, who went to St Munchin's, made three appearances for the Ireland U20s this year.

Minogue is the son of former Ireland international Rosie Foley and the nephew of Munster legend and former head coach Anthony Foley. The 19-year-old flanker, another St Munchin's man, also played for the Ireland U20s in this year's Six Nations. 

20-year-old prop Calvey is a Clare native who played schools rugby with Ardscoil Rís. The Ireland U20 international lined out for the Munster development team in 2023, and the Munster A side during the 2024/25 season. 

Highfield second row Kennelly went to CBC. The 19-year-old made three appearances for the Ireland U20s in the 2025 Six Nations. Cork Con centre Smyth, who went to Midleton College, played in all five of Ireland's U20 Six Nations games this year.

2025/26 Munster Rugby Academy Squad 

Year 3: George Hadden, Dylan Hicks, Darragh McSweeney, Ben O’Connor, Max Clein, Ronan Foxe.

Year 2: Jake O’Riordan, Gene O’Leary Kareem, Michael Foy, Danny Sheahan, Seán Edogbo, Luke Murphy, Gordon Wood.

Year 1: Emmet Calvey, Conor Kennelly, Oisín Minogue, Eoghan Smyth, Tom Wood.