Promising Munster prospects sign short-time contracts
- Updated: 22/01/2025
MUNSTER Rugby and the IRFU are pleased to confirm that Alex Kendellen has signed a two-year contract extension with Evan O’Connell and Ruadhán Quinn moving up from the Academy to the senior squad on two-year deals.
Along with Kendellen, Tom Ahern, Gavin Coombes, Shane Daly and Alex Nankivell have also signed two-year contract extensions ahead of next season with Quinn and O’Connell joining Shay McCarthy is moving up from the Academy to the senior squad.
Quinn and O’Connell both move up to development contracts next year and will progress to senior contracts for 2026/27.
Prior to joining the Munster Academy in 2020, Kendellen had already earned a number of representative honours at provincial and international level.
He lined out lined out for the Munster U18s and U19s and captained the Ireland U18 Schools side in 2019 and played for the Ireland U18 7s team.
He joined the Academy straight out of school having led PBC to the Pinergy Munster Schools Senior Cup final that year. In early 2021 he made his Munster debut as a first year Academy player against the Scarlets.
The same year he captained the Ireland U20s for the Six Nations, where he was a standout performer, scoring six tries in five appearances.
Kendellen made his Champions Cup debut against Castres at the age of 20 in December 2021 and scored his first try against Ulster in January 2022. He ended that season with 20 appearances, including starts in the Champions Cup knock-out games against Exeter Chiefs and Toulouse.
He enjoyed another excellent campaign in 2022/23 and made 22 appearances as Munster won the URC title in his first year as a member of the senior squad.
Kendellen played all 25 games of the 2023/24 season, including receiving his 50th Munster cap against Glasgow Warriors in December 2023. He captained Munster to the win over Crusaders at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in February 2024.
October 2024 saw him captain Emerging Ireland on their three-match tour to South Africa. He was also named as a training panellist during the Autumn Nations Series in Andy Farrell’s 35-man squad.
To date, the 23-year-old has scored 5 tries in 79 Munster appearances. The new contract will keep him at Munster until at least 2027.
Talented second-row Evan O’Connell joined the Academy ahead of the 2022/23 season and currently plays his AIL rugby with Young Munster RFC, making the switch to the Cookies from UL Bohemian RFC ahead of the 2024/25 season.
A former Castletroy College student, Evan lined out for the Munster U18 Schools team at the start of the 2021/22 season.
He captained Castletroy in the Pinergy Munster Schools Boys Senior Cup later that year before lining out for Ireland in the 2022 U18 Six Nations Festival.
O’Connell featured for the Munster U19s in the 2022 Interprovincial Championship.
Internationally, O’Connell has captained the Ireland U20s squad through the 2024 Six Nations and led the team in South Africa during the U20s World Championship.
He lined out for Emerging Ireland on their tour to South Africa in October and has made four senior appearances for Munster so far this season.
O’Connell made his debut against the All Blacks XV at Thomond Park at the beginning of November before lining out against the Emirates Lions, Stade Francais and Ulster before Christmas. He started on his Champions Cup debut in the win over Stade Francais at Thomond Park.
The second-row has also captained Munster A this season in the A Interprovincial Championship.
Talented 21-year-old Ruadhán Quinn came up through the ranks at Ballina-Killaloe RFC and Crescent College Comprehensive. He plays his club rugby with Young Munster RFC and has also lined out for Old Crescent in the AIL.
He was a Pinergy Munster Schools Senior Cup winner with Crescent in March 2022 and joined the Academy that summer.
At the age of just 18, Quinn became Munster’s youngest player of the professional era when he came off the bench against Zebre at Virgin Media Park in October 2022.
He starred for the Ireland U20s in their 2023 Grand Slam-winning 6 Nations campaign and helped the team to the World Rugby U20 Championship final that summer.
To date, he has scored two tries in 14 senior appearances.
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