Munster Rugby players set to return to pre-season training

THE Munster Rugby's men’s squad return to their High Performance Centre at the University of Limerick this week to begin their pre-season training programme ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

The team had a six-week off-season after a 2023/24 campaign that ended in a disappointing semi-final defeat to eventual United Rugby Championship winners, Glasgow Warriors, at Thomond Park.

New signings Thaakir Abrahams, Billy Burns, Tom Farrell and Diarmuid Kilgallen are linking up with the squad for the start of the pre-season training programme.

Tony Butler, Ethan Coughlan, Mark Donnelly, Edwin Edogbo and Brian Gleeson join the senior squad after graduating from the Munster Rugby Academy.

Exciting back-row Gleeson returns home from the U20 World Championship with Ireland this week with Edogbo continuing to rehab his achilles injury.

Scott Buckley has joined Australian side Randwick on a short-term loan for game-time during the off-season. Buckley will return to Munster in early September ahead of the new season.

Tadhg Beirne, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Oli Jager, Conor Murray, Calvin Nash and Peter O’Mahony returned from South Africa last week after Ireland’s two-Test tour. They have started their respective off-seasons.

Academy members return to the High Performance Centre this week to begin their preparations for the upcoming campaign.
Seán Edogbo, Michael Foy, Luke Murphy, Gene O’Leary Kareem, Jake O’Riordan and Danny Sheahan are the new additions to the Academy. For more information on our new Academy recruits, click here.

Like Gleeson, Academy players Evan O’Connell, Ben O’Connor, Edogbo, Murphy, O’Riordan and Sheahan return from the U20s World Championship in South Africa this week.

Two pre-season games have been confirmed for the Munster men in August and September.

Munster face Bath at The Rec on Saturday, August 31 (3pm) before a home game against Gloucester at Virgin Media Park in Cork on Friday, September 6 (7pm).

The majority of fixture details for Munster’s URC and Champions Cup games for 2024/25 have been confirmed .
Munster Rugby will open their campaign with a home date against Connacht at Thomond Park on Saturday, September 21 at 5.15pm.

The early season highlights among the fixtures will see Munster travelling to Dublin to face Leinster on Saturday, October 12, 5.45pm, before the province travels to South Africa for matches against the Stormers and the Sharks in Rounds 5 and 6.

Munster Rugby's fixtures for the pool stages of the 2024/25 Investec Champions Cup have also been revealed. Munster kick off their campaign with a home game against Stade Francais at Thomond Park on Saturday, December 7, with a 5.30pm kick-off.

Six days later, Munster travel to Castres Olympique for a Friday night clash against our old foes in France on December 13, 8pm.

In January, two-time winners Munster welcome English giants Saracens to Thomond Park with another 5.30pm kick-off on Saturday, January 11.

The province's final Pool game will be away to Premiership champions Northampton Saints on Saturday, January 18, with a 3.15pm start.