McMillan eyes overseas recruitment despite Munster redundancies

Thaakir Abrahams is set to leave the province as the head coach plans for NIQ spot. 

Head Coach Clayton McMillan at Munster training on Thursday. Pic: INPHO/Bryan Keane

Clayton McMillan has assured Munster supporters he will not be prevented from making overseas signings for next season despite voluntary redundancies being sought within his organisation.

The first-season head coach outlined the current transfer policy as he signalled the end of Thaakir Abrahams’ stay with Munster beyond this season, admitting he wants to use the South African wing’s Non-Irish Qualified (NIQ) spot on a player in another position.

The Munster head coach revealed his decision on Thursday having recalled Abrahams to his starting line-up for this Saturday afternoon’s Challenge Cup Round of 16 knockout clash at Exeter Chiefs.

The 27-year-old, signed from Lyon in the summer of 2024, is out of contract at the end of his original two-year deal and had not featured in McMillan’s most recent three matchday squads, being left at home for the recent two-match URC tour to South Africa.

Scarlets and Springboks hooker Marnus van der Merwe has already been signed as an NIQ for 2026-27 while fellow a South African, lock Jean Kleyn, is set to depart for Gloucester.

A week after chief executive Ian Flanagan invited staff members outside of the playing squad and coaching staff to consider taking voluntary redundancy, McMillan said: “Look, it's delicate at the moment because obviously the club… there's some challenges financially that's been well documented, but nothing, none of the communication that I've had has said that that's going to have a huge impact on our ability to be able to retain or recruit the talent we need, to be competitive at the next level.

“Now, it's not an empty bucket. We're not going to be frivolous or anything like that, and the reality is we're probably only looking for a couple of two or three players to round out our squad.

“We've got one NIQ spot to fill, with some of our ones that we have now moving on, Jean Kleyn and that. So, some decisions to make around that, but in that particular one, not rushing into it.

“So to answer the question, no, I don't believe that the news that's come out is going to have a huge impact on our ability to recruit and to retain, quality players or staff.” 

When pressed on Abrahams’ future as an NIQ with Munster, McMillan said: “Yeah, we've communicated with Thaakir quite early that his position in the squad isn't guaranteed.

"We love him as a bloke. He's one of the best humans you'll come across. We love what he can do as a rugby player, but one of the areas you have to recognise is where you need to plug some gaps in your roster and sometimes that means you've got to let good people go in order to fill the gaps, and NIQ is obviously one of those avenues.

“At this stage we haven't promised him an opportunity beyond next year because to be perfectly frank, we need to keep a spot open to fill gaps in the squad in positions where there's a higher need.” 

That does not include a direct replacement for Abrahams with McMillan adding: “Oh, we wouldn't do that if we wanted a winger we'd just keep him.”