Connacht Rugby have announced that Declan Moore and Michael McDonald will be joining the squad from next season, on loan from Ulster.
Scrum-Half McDonald and Hooker Moore will be joining the club for the 2023/24 season, linking in for training at the start of the pre-season.
Head coach Pete Wilkins said that the arrival of the two players will provide “further depth in two specialist positions” in the squad.
“They’re both excellent players who are hungry for an opportunity, and their respective qualities will make them real assets to Connacht Rugby.”
“Having four hookers and three scrum-halves, coupled with the exciting talent we have emerging through our Academy, gives us excellent competition for places that will further drive the development of our squad.”
Declan Moore has spent the past 18 months at Ulster, having arrived there from Munster in order to cover an injury.
The 26 year old New Zealander had previously been part of the Melbourne Rebels’ squad in 2020, and played for the Sydney Rays in the 2019 National Rugby Championship.
Moore is Irish-qualified with his grandfather from Co. Antrim, while he also has roots from Castlerea in Co. Roscommon.
Michael McDonald was born in Louth and spent his childhood there before moving to Australia at age 13.
He came through the ranks at Western Force and was starting scrum-half for Australia in the 2019 U20 World Championship, helping them reach the final.
As a senior player, he first had a contract at the Waratahs where he made four Super Rugby appearances in 2020.
He then re-joined Western Force for two seasons before moving to Ulster last summer.
