Murray makes the cut for Connacht Academy squad

Athlone's Darragh Murray is one of 16 players named in the Connacht Academy rugby squad for the 2020-21 season.

Darragh (pictured above) from Brideswell was the captain of the Connacht team that won the U-18 Club Interprovincial Championship in 2018.

The Buccaneers player is one of the eight selected for the Year 1 programme. Darragh has represented Ireland at U-18 level and has played Gaelic football with St Brigid's at a number of age grades.

Darragh's selection comes hot on the heels of his older brother Niall signing a professional contract with Connacht.

The other players selected for the Year 1 category of the Connacht Academy are Donnacha Byrne, Hubert Costello, Eoin De Buitléar, Cathal Forde, Charlie Ward, Cian Prendergast and Ciaran Booth.

Buccaneers duo Oisín McCormack and Shane Jennings, who also featured in the U18 squad of 2018, move to Year 2 of the Academy, along with fellow Buccaneers player Declan Adamson.

Year 3 features Colm De Buitléar, who has recovered from a serious achilles injury he sustained last summer, and U20 Grand Slam winner Dylan Tierney-Martin. They’re joined by Oran McNulty, Joshua Dunne and Seán O’Brien.

Further additions may be confirmed in the coming months.

Connacht Academy - Year 1

Donnacha Byrne

Ciaran Booth

Hubert Costello

Eoin De Buitléar

Cathal Forde

Darragh Murray

Cian Prendergast

Charlie Ward

Year 2

Declan Adamson

Shane Jennings

Oisin McCormack

Year 3

Colm De Buitléar

Joshua Dunne

Oran McNulty

Seán O’Brien

Dylan Tierney-Martin