Pro contracts for O’Donnell and Gallagher
Two homegrown players have signed professional contracts with Connacht.
Sligo’s Cillian Gallagher and Conan O’Donnell have both signed senior professional contracts with Connacht and the IRFU for next season.
Both played rugby for Sligo RFC and Summerhill College and congratulations were flowing for both players from supporters in Sligo,
The former Irish U20 internationals’ rise through the ranks closely reflects the impressive growth of the game in Sligo.
Conan O’Donnell made his debut for the Connacht senior side in the PRO12 winning season in 2016. He has since gone on to make a total of nine senior appearances in his three years in the academy system.
It was only last December that Sligo native and then Academy player Cillian ‘Crouchy’ Gallagher was handed his first start for Connacht.
Cillian, a former Summerhill College student, started playing rugby with Sligo RFC U-14s and continued up to senior level.
He was first selected for Connacht for the U-15 development squad and then for the U-16 and U-17 squads.
However it wasn’t till he was at the U-18 level that he started to seriously focus on rugby and managed to secure a place in the Connacht sub academy.
The former Ireland U-20 captain had made his Connacht debut off the bench in the Challenge Cup win over Worcester in October 2017.
He has gone on to make five appearances in total this season.
Another Academy player who also signed a professional contract was Peter Claffey.
The Portumna lock also has a bright future having graduated through the underage system in both Ballinasloe RFC and his school, Garbally College.
Connacht CEO Willie Ruane said grassroots systems are so important at developing rugby.
He said: “The development of players from our club and school system and through our academy is essential for the future success of Connacht.
“We are delighted that three more players are making the step up to full time professional contracts next season.
“Our vision of Grassroots to Green Shirts sets out a clear strategy of developing home grown players through the structures in place in the province.
“All three have come through that path and they will be an important part of the senior squad next season,” he added.
Connacht Head Coach Kieran Keane said: “It is great to see three players from the province making the step up to the senior squad.
“All three have been integrating into the senior squad training this season and we have been impressed with the progress they have made.
“Their development to full time professional contracts is a credit to the work being done at club and schools level throughout the province.”
It’s a proud moment for the coaches involved in Summerhill College where both Conan and Cillian went to school and Sligo RFC.
Their development to full time professional contracts is a credit to the work being done at club and schools