Munster tie down second row Conor Ryan until 2028

Munster academy and pathway manager Gar Prendergast said Ryan is the "perfect example of a player who emerges a little later" in their career

Fri, 20 Mar, 2026 - 18:53

Cian Locke

Conor Ryan has signed a two-year contract extension with Munster which will keep him at the province until at least 2028.

The 22-year-old second row is the latest Munster player to take the less trodden path to professional rugby. He came up the ranks at Clonakilty RFC and currently plays in the AIL for UCC.

Ryan made his Munster senior bow in a 2024 pre-season game against Bath. He signed a one-year development contract last summer and featured against an Argentina XV at Thomond Park in November.

“Conor is an excellent example of the breadth of Munster’s player identification and recruitment process, a real success story," said Munster general manager Ian Costello.

“Conor didn’t come through what might be considered a traditional route. Central to our recruitment strategy is identifying emerging players or late developers, from within the province, particularly in the All-Ireland League. Players such as Shay McCarthy and Conor Bartley are good examples of players that have been identified through their consistent performances in the AIL.

“We’ve also tracked Conor (Ryan) for a long time now, and after a series of standout performances in the AIL he was identified as a player of high potential and invited into a development training group in 2023. The Academy and NTS staff do an excellent job managing the development group, which works in parallel with our traditional pathway while I must also commend the brilliant work of Clonakilty RFC and UCC RFC in helping develop Conor.

“In conjunction with being part of our development group, Conor was gradually exposed to training opportunities with our senior team over the season, followed by a full-time trial period in 2024/25. He impressed to the extent that he secured a one-year development contract this season.

“Off the back of that, he’s continued to excel physically, technically, tactically and we’re delighted to offer him a two-year contract. Conor deserves a massive amount of credit for how he has maximised this opportunity and we are genuinely excited to see him realise his potential into the future at Munster.”

Munster academy and pathway manager Gar Prendergast said Ryan following John Hodnett's route to Thomond Park highlights the great work being done by Clonakilty and UCC.

“Our clubs are massively important for player development and this is reflected in Munster consistently releasing the most players to play in the AIL each week," said Prendergast.

“As Academy coaches, we watch as many games as possible every weekend. Along with tracking the high number of contracted players in action, we monitor all players to identify if there is anyone who has the potential to play professional rugby. With this in mind, special mention to Brendan O’Connor and all the other Academy & NTS staff who supported Conor during this period.

“Conor is the perfect example of a player who emerges a little later, has been given an opportunity off the back of strong performances for his club and taken it with both hands.

“Our clubs are a cornerstone of Munster Rugby and Conor’s elevation is further proof of the importance of our clubs in developing players.”