Niall Murray and Dave Heffernan will be extending their time at Connacht, with new two year deals for both players announced this week.
Heffernan has become a Connacht regular since first lining out for the province in 2012, having made 177 appearances since then.
On the international scene he has 7 caps and has become a regular feature in the Ireland squad.
The Ballina man said that it was an easy decision for him to make to remain with Connacht until at least the end of the 2024/25 season.
“I feel like I’ve been playing some good rugby this season so now I want to kick on and achieve success with both Connacht and hopefully Ireland down the line.”
Coaching Director Andy Friend said that Heffernan is a brilliant player from the west, who has risen through the ranks to become one of the club’s most important players.
“He brings enormous physicality on the pitch every time he plays and you can see he has brought his game on another level this season.”
Connacht Rugby have also confirmed another homegrown talent who’s sticking around the Sportsground with Niall Murray’s contract extension.
The Roscommon lock first made his debut in December 2019 and has gone on to make 47 appearances for his home province.
He was also a part of the Ireland U20 side that won a Grand Slam in the 2019 U20 Six Nations.
“I’m really pleased to sign a two-year contract and extend my stay at my home province,” Murray said.
“The club gave me my first opportunity and since then I’ve loved every minute. Now I want to do everything I can to keep improving and helping the club succeed.”
Andy Friend called Murray a “brilliant young professional” who continues to go from strength to strength.
“He’s becoming one of our key forward leaders too, so we’re delighted to see him commit to Connacht for at least a few more years.”
