Roman Salanoa to continue hamstring rehabilitation with Munster despite contract expiring

Roman Salanoa will be given every chance to resume his professional rugby career as he continues his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury with Munster, despite his contract expiring this week. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady.

Roman Salanoa will be given every chance to resume his professional rugby career as he continues his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury with Munster, despite his contract expiring this week.

The American-born tighthead prop signed from the Leinster academy in 2020 had not played for Munster since the 2023 URC grand final due to a long-term knee injury.

The 28-year-old former Emerging Ireland tourist had worked his way back to full fitness last season, playing for Nenagh Ormond in the Energia All Ireland League but a scheduled comeback for Clayton McMillan’s provincial side was scuppered at the end of the 2025-26 campaign by the hamstring issue.

A statement issued by Munster Rugby on Monday said Salanoa was now out of contract but will continue his rehab at the High Performance Centre in Limerick until the end of September, with the hope he will return to action for Nenagh Ormond in Division 1B in the coming season.

Yet that hope extends to a potential comeback in the professional ranks once he has proven his fitness to compete at the highest level and that the opportunity arises for the Hawaiian to add to his 30 appearances and two tries for Munster between his October 2020 debut and May 2023.

"Roman is a hugely popular and respected member of our squad who has shown outstanding commitment and resilience throughout a challenging injury period,” Munster Rugby general manager Ian Costello said.

“While a setback prevented him from returning before the end of last season, our medical team will continue to support his recovery in the coming months with the aim of returning to AIL rugby early in the new season.

"We also thank Nenagh Ormond RFC for working with us to help Roman integrate back into AIL rugby, and we’re delighted he has chosen to play locally while remaining closely connected to Munster."

Head coach McMillan welcomed two new senior tightheads among the new faces beginning pre-season training last week, Ireland international Jack Aungier having joined from Connacht while Irish-qualified former England prop Kieran Brookes has joined from Perpignan.

With John Ryan having retired and Oli Jager forced to quit due to concussion issues, the new tightheads will compete with Samoan Michael Ala’alatoa and academy graduate Ronan Foxe for starting places in the Munster front row.

Former Waratahs playmaker Will Harrison and South African hooker Marnus van der Merwe, signed from Scarlets, have also linked up their new team-mates at the Munster HPC where the new-look squad have been getting to know new forwards coach Jimmy Duffy and incoming assistant coach Jared Payne, who is sharing the attack portfolio with Mossy Lawler following the departure of senior coach Mike Prendergast to Bath.

Like Foxe, hooker Max Clein, back-rower Seán Edogbo, back-three player Ben O'Connor and scrum-half Ben O'Donovan have also started their first pre-season as members of the senior squad having stepped up from the academy, as has new academy recruit Christian Foley.

Other members of the 2026-27 academy intake Christopher Barrett, Rob Carney, Jamie Conway, Joe Finn, Alex Lautsou, James O’Leary and Charlie O’Shea are set to being their pre-season programmes next month after an extended break following their involvement with the Ireland U20s at the Junior World Championship in Georgia.

Munster’s pre-season campaign kicks off on August 28 at Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle following a short training camp on the west coast of France. It concludes on September 18 against Leicester Tigers on September 18 at Virgin Media Park in Cork, eight days out from the province’s URC season opener against Glasgow Warriors at Thomond Park.