Connacht Juniors Squad Announced for First Interprovincial Clash Against Leinster Rugby This Saturday

The Connacht Juniors squad has been officially named for their first Junior Interprovincial match of the 2026 season against Leinster Rugby, set to take place this Saturday, 25th April at Ballyhaunis RFC at 2:00 PM.

The announcement, made on 23rd April 2026, confirms the selection of a squad featuring 17 uncapped players under a new management team, marking the return of the Connacht Juniors to competitive interprovincial action.

Head coach Paddy Pearson, who is overseeing his first season in charge, expressed optimism about the squad’s readiness ahead of the fixture. The match represents the opening round of the Junior Interprovincial Series, with Connacht’s next game scheduled against Ulster on 2nd May in Enniskillen.

The extended squad, initially announced on 9th April 2026, includes 31 players drawn from 13 clubs across Connacht. The selection comprises 19 forwards and 12 backs, with representation from teams such as Corinthians RFC (5 players), Westport RFC (3), Ballina RFC (4), and Dunmore RFC (3), among others.

Notable inclusions in the forwards are Brendan McLoughlin (Westport RFC), Brian Diffley (Creggs RFC), Cormac Lyons (Westport RFC), Sean O’Connell (Ballina RFC), and Jack Boyan (Corinthians RFC). In the backs, Calum Quinn (Ballina RFC), Cody Farrell (Galwegians RFC), Finn Young (Sligo Rugby), and Rory King (Corinthians RFC) are named.

The match day squad will be finalised closer to the game, with the extended panel serving as the pool from which the starting XV and replacements will be selected. Ballyhaunis RFC will host the encounter, continuing its role as a venue for underage representative fixtures in the province.

Connacht’s Junior Interprovincial campaign continues with a trip to Ulster on 2nd May, followed by a home match against Munster on 9th April — though the latter date appears to be a discrepancy in the source material, as the interprovincial series typically follows a spring schedule. Only the fixture against Leinster on 25th April and the subsequent game against Ulster on 2nd May are explicitly confirmed in the verified reports.

The return of the Juniors programme follows a period of redevelopment, with the extended squad announcement in April signalling renewed investment in age-grade representative rugby within the Connacht province. Clubs from Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim, and Roscommon are all represented in the extended panel.