2025–26 Connacht Rugby season

Connacht Rugby
2025–26 season
Head coachPete Wilkins
Chief executiveWillie Ruane
← 2024–25 2026–27 →

The 2025–26 season is Connacht Rugby's fifth season in the United Rugby Championship, their 32nd season of professional rugby and their 138th season of representative rugby since the foundation of the Connacht Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. Along with competing in the URC and its Irish Shield competition, the club will also participate in the 2025–26 EPCR Challenge Cup.

Senior squad

Connacht Rugby senior squad

Prop

Hooker

Lock

Back Row

Scrum-Half

Fly-Half

Centre

Winger

Fullback

(c) denotes the team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped players.
* denotes players qualified to play for Ireland on residency or dual nationality.
ST denotes a short-term signing.
L denotes a player on loan at the club.
Players and their allocated positions from the Munster Rugby website.[1]

Transfers

Main article: Connacht Rugby

United Rugby Championship

Matches

27 September 2025 Connacht v Benetton The Sportsground, Galway  
19:45
TBC Connacht v Scarlets The Sportsground, Galway  
20:05
11 October 2025 Cardiff v Connacht Cardiff Arms Park  
19:45
TBC Connacht v Bulls The Sportsground, Galway  
19:45
25 October 2025 Munster v Connacht Thomond Park, Limerick  
19:45
29 November 2025 Connacht v Sharks The Sportsground, Galway  
19:45
20 December 2025 Dragons v Connacht Rodney Parade, Newport  
19:45
27 December 2025 Connacht v Ulster The Sportsground, Galway  
17:30
3 January 2026 Leinster v Connacht TBC  
17:30
24 January 2026 Connacht v Leinster The Sportsground, Galway  
17:30
31 January 2026 Zebre Parma v Connacht Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma  
15:00
28 February 2026 Connacht v Glasgow Warriors The Sportsground, Galway  
15:00
20 March 2026 Ulster v Connacht Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast  
19:45
28 March 2026 Connacht v Ospreys The Sportsground, Galway  
14:15
18 April 2026 Stormers v Connacht Cape Town Stadium  
17:15
25 April 2026 Lions v Connacht Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg  
15:00
9 May 2026 Connacht v Munster The Sportsground, Galway  
19:45
15 May 2026 Edinburgh v Connacht Edinburgh Rugby Stadium  
19:45

Table

Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts Qualification
1 Benetton 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualifies for home URC quarter-final;
Qualification for the 2026–27 Champions Cup
2 Bulls 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Cardiff 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Dragons 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualifies for URC quarter-final;
Qualification for the 2026–27 Champions Cup
6 Edinburgh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 Glasgow Warriors 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 Leinster 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 Lions 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for the 2026–27 Challenge Cup
10 Munster 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11 Ospreys 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 Scarlets 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13 Sharks 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 Stormers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
15 Ulster 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 Zebre Parma 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played: unknown. Source: UnitedRugby.com
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won 2) The difference between points for and points against 3) The number of tries scored 4) The most points scored 5) The difference between tries for and tries against 6) The fewest red cards received 7) The fewest yellow cards received.[7]


2025–26 United Rugby Championship Regional Shield tables
Irish Shield
Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA TBP LBP Pts Pos overall
1 Connacht — — — — — — — — — — — — —
2 Leinster — — — — — — — — — — — — —
3 Munster — — — — — — — — — — — — —
4 Ulster — — — — — — — — — — — — —
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:[8]
  1. number of matches won
  2. the difference between points for and points against
  3. the number of tries scored
  4. the most points scored
  5. the difference between tries for and tries against
  6. the fewest red cards received
  7. the fewest yellow cards received
Green background indicates teams currently leading the regional shield. Upon the conclusion of the regular season, these teams win their respective regional shields.

(S) : URC Shield champion

Challenge Cup

Pool matches

v  
v  
v  
v  

Home attendance

Season begins 26 September 2025

Domestic League EPRC Challenge Cup Total
League Fixtures Total Attendance Average Attendance Highest Lowest League Fixtures Total Attendance Average Attendance Highest Lowest Total Attendance Average Attendance
2025–26 United Rugby Championship 2025–26 European Rugby Challenge Cup

References

  1. ^ "Munster Rugby | 1st Team Squad". Munster Rugby. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  2. ^ "Connacht sign one-time All Black hopeful Sam Gilbert as uncertainty surrounds Puma star Santiago Cordero". www.independent.ie. 9 May 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "Devine, Treacy and West sign Pro contracts". Connacht Rugby. 26 May 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  4. ^ "JJ Hanrahan signs two-year contract with Munster". The Irish Examiner. 22 February 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Irish Rugby | Cordero, Oliver, And O'Conor To Leave Connacht". Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  6. ^ "Edinburgh sign utility-back Piers O'Connor". The Offside Line. 14 May 2025. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  7. ^ "Competition rules – United Rugby Championship". United Rugby Championship. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
  8. ^ League Format (3) "Competition Rules". United Rugby Championship. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
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