1
Tongan and Irish internationals among the eight leaving Connacht
By Liam Heagney
Tonga second row Leva Fifita and Ireland winger Adam Byrne have been included on the list of eight players leaving Connacht at the end of the current season. The departures of three players – Kieran Marmion, the Bristol-bound ex-Ireland scrum-half, and the retiring Shane Delahunt and Alex Wootton – had already been announced, but five more exits have now been confirmed.
ADVERTISEMENT
A statement read: “Connacht Rugby can confirm the players that will depart the club at the end of the season. As previously announced, double centurion Kieran Marmion moves to Bristol Bears at the end of the campaign, while Shane Delahunt and Alex Wootton have announced their retirements from pro rugby. Also leaving the club are Adam Byrne, Leva Fifita, Conor Fitzgerald, Sean Masterson and Ciaran Booth.”
Outgoing director of rugby Andy Friend said: “The eight men have each made their own unique contributions to Connacht Rugby, so I’d like to thank them and wish them every success in the future, wherever their path may take them.
Video Player is loading.
“I’m sure they will get a well-deserved reception when we acknowledge them on the pitch after our final home game against Cardiff on Saturday.
“I also want to thank Mossy Lawler and Dewald Senekal who finish up with us at the end of the season after two years in the pro coaching team. They both played very important roles in the development of the squad in that time. To them and their families, I wish them every happiness in the future.”
The 33-year-old Fifita, who signed from Grenoble in 2021, started all four of Tonga’s matches at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Meanwhile, the 29-year-old Byrne, who signed from Leinster in the summer of 2022, earned his sole Ireland cap versus Argentina in 2017.
