Head Coach Simon Easterby has today named a 33-player Emerging Ireland squad for the upcoming three-match Tour to South Africa.

Easterby, along with the National Coaching Team, have identified high potential players from across the four Provinces to assemble for camp at the IRFU High Performance Centre next week, before departing for Bloemfontein on Saturday, 28 September.

Munster’s Alex Kendellen, who previously captained Ireland U20s, has been named as Tour captain.

Two players who were part of Andy Farrell‘s Ireland squad for the recent Summer Tour of South Africa – Sam Prendergast and Cormac Izuchukwu – are included in the travelling party, while former Ireland U20 captains Gus McCarthy and Evan O’Connell are named by Head Coach Easterby.

Ulster forward Izuchukwu is one of two players set for their second Emerging Ireland Tour alongside Leinster back row James Culhane.

Emerging Ireland will face the Pumas in their campaign opener on Wednesday, 2 October (Kick-off 4pm local time/3pm Irish time), before going head-to-head with Super Rugby outfit Western Force on Sunday, 6 October (Kick-off 1pm local time/12pm Irish time).

Easterby’s side will then conclude the Tour against defending Currie Cup champions the Cheetahs on Wednesday, 9 October (Kick-off 7pm local time/6pm Irish time), with all matches being played at Toyota Stadium.

The Tour schedule is designed to challenge the players in a National Team environment, providing them with a window to impress the coaches and train and play to the National Team’s tactical and technical approach, while presenting them with access to meaningful game time in a green jersey.

Broadcast details for Emerging Ireland’s three matches will be confirmed in due course.

Emerging Ireland Squad:

Forwards (18):

Jack Aungier (Lansdowne FC/Connacht)
Jack Boyle (UCD RFC/Leinster)
James Culhane (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Jordan Duggan (Naas RFC/Connacht)
Sean Edogbo (UCC RFC/Munster)
Ronan Foxe (Garryowen FC/Munster)
Cormac Izuchukwu (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster)
Sean Jansen (Connacht)
Alex Kendellen (UCC RFC/Munster)(captain)
Gus McCarthy (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Darragh Murray (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)
Evan O’Connell (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)
Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Danny Sheahan (Cork Constitution FC/Munster)
Harry Sheridan (Dublin University FC/Ulster)
Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster)
Alex Soroka (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
Scott Wilson (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster)

Backs (15):

Shayne Bolton (Connacht)
Hugh Cooney (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
Ethan Coughlan (Shannon RFC/Munster)
Matthew Devine (Corinthians RFC/Connacht)
Cormac Foley (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)
Jack Murphy (Clontarf FC/Ulster)
Tommy O’Brien (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Sean O’Brien (Clontarf FC/Munster)
Ben O’Connor (UCC RFC/Munster)
Andrew Osborne (Naas RFC/Leinster)
Jude Postlethwaite (Banbridge RFC/Ulster)
Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
Rob Russell (Dublin University FC/Leinster)
Zac Ward (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster/Ireland Sevens).

Emerging Ireland Tour Fixtures:

• Wednesday, 2 October: Emerging Ireland v The Pumas, 4pm local time/3pm Irish time
• Sunday, 6 October: Emerging Ireland v Western Force, 1pm local time/12pm Irish time
• Wednesday, 9 October: Emerging Ireland v The Cheetah, 7pm local time/6pm Irish time.

Munster Rugby and the IRFU are pleased to confirm contract extensions for Conor Murray and Jack Daly with Brian Gleeson to be promoted from the Academy to the senior squad next season.

Murray and Daly have signed one-year extensions with Gleeson moving up to the senior squad on a two-year deal.

Gleeson is one of five Academy players moving up to the senior squad next year with Tony Butler, Ethan Coughlan, Mark Donnelly and Edwin Edogbo also signing two-year deals.

Conor Murray is one of the most decorated scrum-halfs in world rugby with 116 Ireland caps and three British & Irish Lions tours to his name.

A former St Munchin’s College student, the Garryowen man won his fifth 6 Nations title with Ireland last month and earned his second league title with Munster last season.

The 34-year-old has made 185 Munster appearances and scored 34 tries for the province to date and was named on World Rugby’s Team of the Decade in 2019.

25-year-old flanker Jack Daly came up through the ranks at Castleisland RFC and made his Munster debut against Zebre in 2020.

Daly joined the Academy in 2018, moved up to the senior squad in 2021 and plays his AIL rugby with Garryowen. A former Ireland U20 international, he made his Champions Cup debut against Toulouse in the quarter-final at the Aviva Stadium in 2022.

Try-scoring number 8 Brian Gleeson leads the charge for the Ireland Under-20s against France ©INPHO/Evan Treacy

20-year-old Gleeson moves up to the senior squad after just one year in the Academy that has seen him score one try in nine senior appearances.

Currently out of action with an ankle injury, he had already made three Champions Cup appearances before turning 20.

The powerful back-row forward was a Grand Slam winner with the Ireland U20s last year. plays his AIL rugby with Garryowen and came up through the ranks at Thurles RFC and Rockwell College.

Head Coach Andy Farrell has named his Ireland Match Day Squad for Saturday’s Guinness Men’s Six Nations clash against Scotland at Aviva Stadium (Kick-off 4.45pm).

Ireland – currently sitting top of the Six Nations table heading into Super Saturday – can clinch back-to-back Championship titles with victory over Scotland in Dublin.

Farrell has named an unchanged starting XV for the Round 5 clash, as Hugo Keenan, Calvin Nash and James Lowe continue in the Ireland back three. Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki are once again selected in midfield, with Jack Crowley and Jamison Gibson-Park the starting half-backs.

Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong pack down in the front row, with Joe McCarthy partnering Tadhg Beirne – who is set to win his 50th Test cap for Ireland – in the engine room.

Captain Peter O’Mahony is at blindside flanker, Josh van der Flier is at openside and Caelan Doris completes the starting XV at number eight.

The Ireland Coaching Team have opted for a 5-3 split on the bench, with Rónan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Ryan Baird and Jack Conan providing the reinforcements up front, and Conor Murray, Harry Byrne and the fit-again Garry Ringrose the backline options.

Saturday’s match is live on Virgin Media One and ITV, with live radio coverage available on RTE Radio 1.

Ireland Team & Replacements (v Scotland, Guinness Men’s Six Nations, Saturday, March 16, 4.45pm)