Craig Casey pens two-year contract extension with Munster

The contract extenion will keep him in Munster until at least 2028.

CONTRACT EXTENSION: Munster Rugby and the IRFU have announced that Craig Casey has penned a two-year contract extension which will keep him at the province until at least 2028. Picture: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile

Craig Casey has committed his future to Munster and Ireland by agreeing a two-year contract extension which will keep the scrum-half at his home province until at least 2028.

Casey, 26, captained Ireland in their summer Tests against Georgia and Portugal in July, skippered Munster for the first time in the first URC game of the season at Scarlets and his start against Bath in the Champions Cup pool opener at The Rec was his 104th appearance for a side he first represented in 2019.

The Limerick native has scored two tries in three appearances this season, taking his scoring tally for Munster to 22. The new contract continues a near nine-year attachment which the Ardscoil Ris and Shannon graduate began by joining Munster’s academy in the summer of 2017.

Casey won Academy Player of the Year in 2019 and was also vice-captain of the Grand Slam-winning Ireland U20s that year, then was named Munster’s Young Player of the Year two years later, having earned his first Test against Italy in the 2021 Six Nations.

A URC title win in 2022/23 capped a season which also saw him help Ireland to the Six Nations Grand Slam and led to a first World Cup campaign in the autumn of 2023 and then the 2024 Six Nations title.

With a European clash against Gloucester at Pairc ui Chaoimh coming this Saturday, there is optimism Casey’s half-back partner Jack Crowley will shake off the ankle injury that kept the fly-half out of the 40-14 defeat at Bath last weekend. The province said the Ireland playmaker was “making good progress” while back-rower Jack O’Donoghue was in the process of completing his return to play protocols having sustained a concussion against Stormers on November 29. The availability of both Crowley and O’Donoghue will be determined by Munster medical staff later in the week.

Also being monitored for progress on their fitness for Saturday’s Pool 2 clash in Cork are loosehead prop Michael Milne (ankle) and lock Fineen Wycherely (finger) but wing Andrew Smith has returned to training this week after sustaining knee and hamstring injuries against Leinster at Croke Park in October.