Local rugby stars called into Connacht rugby programme

A plethora of young local rugby players has been selected by Connacht Rugby to participate in its 2026 summer development programme.

Teenagers from across the five counties under the Connacht Rugby umbrella will take part in the programme, with five local secondary schools (Athlone Community College, Coláiste Chiaráin, Marist College, Moate Community School and Our Lady's Bower) all represented. Clonfert College in Ballinasloe also has students selected for the programme.

There are four age grades in the programme: U17 Boys, U18 Boys, U19 Men and U18 Girls.

At U17 Boys level, Sheriff Bamidele and Jack Campbell of Buccaneers RFC are chosen. They attend Athlone CC and Marist College respectively. Cúlainn Greene, who plays club rugby for Ballinasloe and attends Coláiste Chiaráin in Athlone, is also selected, along with Ballinasloe team-mates Cian McKeon and Conor Reynolds (both Clonfert College).

Elliot Friel (Buccaneers) is one of two Moate CS students in the programme and he joins five other locals in the U18 panel: John Finnan (Buccaneers/Marist College), Daragh Murray (Buccaneers/Marist College), Sean O'Hara (Buccaneers/Coláiste Chiaráin) and Peter Daniel Sunny (Buccaneers/Marist College).

The other Moate CS student selected is Mila Fratkova (Buccaneers), who is one of seven locals picked for the U18 Girls squad. Joining Mila will be Buccaneers club-mates Rose Fleming and Sally Fleming (both Our Lady's Bower), Cora Heneghan (Coláiste Chiaráin) and Chloe O'Connor (Athlone CC). The Ballinasloe RFC pair of Esther Albert (Clonfert College) and Ellie Condon (Portumna CS) are also involved at that level.

Four students from Marist College, Athlone (who all play for Buccaneers) will be involved with the U19 Men panel – Owen Egan, Darragh Glennon, Oisin O'Donoghue and Ciarán West.