Munster Rugby and the IRFU are pleased to confirm the signing of centre Alex Nankivell and contract extensions for tighthead prop Stephen Archer and loosehead prop Dave Kilcoyne.

Nankivell will join the province on a two-year contract at the start of the 2023/24 season, making the move from New Zealand where he plays with Super Rugby side Gallagher Chiefs.

Alex Nankivell in action for the Chiefs against the Waratahs last April.

The 26-year-old, originally from Christchurch, has been a regular in the Chiefs’ midfield since 2017, making 58 appearances to date.

An impressive 2019 campaign saw him earn selection for the Māori All Blacks against Fiji and he also lined out for the side against an Ireland XV last summer. In November 2022 he was selected for the All Blacks XV that played Ireland ‘A’ and the Barbarians.

Front row duo Stephen Archer and Dave Kilcoyne have both put pen to paper on one-year extensions.

Between them, Archer and Kilcoyne have made 468 appearances for the province.

Munster’s second most-capped player of all time, Archer has made 255 appearances for the province since making his debut in October 2009.

The 35-year-old, who has also earned two Ireland caps, is an ultra-reliable presence in the front row and is 13 appearances short of equalling Donncha O’Callaghan’s record 268 Munster appearances.

Stephen Archer at Munster training on Tuesday.

Kilcoyne is in a rich vein of form and earned his 50th Ireland cap at the weekend with 213 Munster appearances to his name.

The 34-year-old made his Munster debut against Connacht in December 2011 and has overcome a difficult time with injuries to make 13 appearances so far this season.

Dave Kilcoyne at Munster training last month.

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Voted for by a panel of distinguished judges (see below), this season’s longlist of 15 players includes proven Heineken Champions Cup and World Cup winners as well as in-form rising stars such as Jaden Hendrikse of the Cell C Sharks, Munster Rugby’s Gavin Coombes, Emmanuel Meafou of Stade Toulousain and Leinster’s Jamie Osborne.

The Durban-based Sharks have four nominees with Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Makazole Mapimpi and Hendrikse all receiving the judges’ seal of approval, while Leinster also have four representatives in Garry Ringrose, Caelan Doris, Van der Flier and Osborne.

In addition, Antoine Dupont, winner in 2021, and Julien Marchand of Stade Toulousain, have made the elite list along with Grégory Alldritt of Stade Rochelais, Saracens’ Elliot Daly and one of the world’s most gifted back rows, Justin Tipuric of the Ospreys.

The winner of the award, which is now in its 13th year, will receive the Anthony Foley Memorial Trophy in memory of the former Munster Rugby Head Coach and captain. Voting is now open HERE and fans will be in the running to win two VIP tickets with one night’s accommodation for the 2024 Heineken Champions Cup Final in May 2024.

At the conclusion of the semi-final matches in April, the list will be reduced to five players by a combination of the public vote and the verdict of the judges, and players who have not been included in the initial longlist, but who make a significant impact during the knockout stages of the Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup, may be considered for the shortlist.

The voting will then re-open and the winner of the 2023 award will be announced following the Heineken Champions Cup final at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday 20 May.

2023 EPCR PLAYER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

Grégory ALLDRITT (Stade Rochelais)
Gavin COOMBES (Munster Rugby)
Caelan DORIS (Leinster Rugby)
Elliot DALY (Saracens)
Antoine DUPONT (Stade Toulousain)
Eben ETZEBETH (Cell C Sharks)
Jaden HENDRIKSE (Cell C Sharks)
Siya KOLISI (Cell C Sharks)
Makazole MAPIMPI (Cell C Sharks)
Julien MARCHAND (Stade Toulousain)
Emmanuel MEAFOU (Stade Toulousain)
Jamie OSBORNE (Leinster Rugby)
Garry RINGROSE (Leinster Rugby)
Justin TIPURIC (Ospreys)
Josh VAN DER FLIER (Leinster Rugby)

Judging Panel – Bryan Habana (two-time Heineken Champions Cup winner), Sarah Hunter (former England captain), Elma Smit (sports presenter and producer), Andy Goode (two-time Heineken Cup winner), Dimitri Yachvili (France Télévisions and Challenge Cup winner)

Roll of Honour – 2022: Josh van der Flier (Leinster Rugby) ; 2021: Antoine Dupont (Stade Toulousain) ; 2020: Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs); 2019: Alex Goode (Saracens); 2018: Leone Nakarawa (Racing 92); 2017: Owen Farrell (Saracens); 2016: Maro Itoje (Saracens); 2015: Nick Abendanon (ASM Clermont Auvergne); 2014: Steffon Armitage (RC Toulon); 2013: Jonny Wilkinson (RC Toulon); 2012: Rob Kearney (Leinster Rugby); 2011: Sean O’Brien (Leinster Rugby); 2010: Ronan O’Gara (Munster Rugby – best player of first 15 years of European professional club competitions)

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Munster Rugby and the IRFU are pleased to confirm contract extensions for Niall Scannell and Rory Scannell with Edwin Edogbo signing his first senior contract and John Ryan returning to Munster next season.

Niall and Rory have both signed two-year contract extensions with Edwin set to continue as an Academy player next season before moving up to the senior squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign on a two-year contract.

John will return to Munster for the 2023/24 season. The tighthead prop has joined the Chiefs in New Zealand for the upcoming Super Rugby Pacific season and will return to Munster on a one-year contract.

Niall Scannell

Niall Scannell captained Munster for the second time in last weekend’s win over Benetton and has made 155 appearances for the province since his debut in 2013, scoring 21 tries.

The 30-year-old hooker has earned 20 Ireland caps and appeared at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Rory Scannell.

Centre Rory Scannell has made 171 appearances for Munster and became the youngest player to reach 100 Munster appearances at the age of just 25 in 2019.

He has earned three Ireland caps and is the only player to have won the Munster Academy and Young Player of the Year awards in the same year after winning both accolades in 2016.

Edwin Edogbo.

Academy lock Edwin Edogbo has earned his first senior contract having made a big impression in his seven Munster appearances so far this season.

Edwin came up through the ranks at Cobh Pirates and is the first player from the club to play for Munster in the professional era.

The 20-year-old plays his AIL rugby with UCC and is currently sidelined with an ankle injury.

John Ryan.

John Ryan is one of only 13 players to have made over 200 appearances for Munster with the tighthead prop playing 205 games for the province to date.

The 34-year-old made his 50^th Champions Cup appearance for the province in December and has also earned 24 Ireland caps, featuring at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

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