Munster Rugby’s New Signings | 2024/25

18th July 2024 By The Editor

Thaakir Abrahams joins Munster from Lyon. Inpho

Nine players will join the Munster Rugby senior squad this summer with four new additions and five players stepping up from the Academy.

Thaakir Abrahams, Billy Burns, Tom Farrell and Diarmuid Kilgallen are the new signings.

Tony Butler, Ethan Coughlan, Mark Donnelly, Edwin Edogbo and Brian Gleeson move up from the Academy having already made 52 senior appearances between them.

Find out more about the new members of our senior squad below.

In addition to the below nine new signings, hooker Eoghan Clarke and prop Oli Jager joined the province mid-season last year and have made a big impact. Clarke has joined Munster until at least the summer of 2025 with Jager signing until 2027.

Thaakir Abrahams

Age: 25 (10/01/1999)

Position: Back three

An extremely fast and elusive winger/full-back with deceptive strength, Abrahams joins Munster on a two-year contract after one season with Lyon where he scored five tries in five Champions Cup appearances.

A former South Africa U20 international, Abrahams captained Paarl Boys High in his school days before helping the Junior Springboks to a third-placed finish at the 2019 U20 World Cup.

He represented Western Province at underage level before moving to Durban to join the Sharks, quickly making his Super Rugby debut in 2020.

His three seasons at Sharks saw Abrahams impress in the Champions Cup, URC, Super Rugby and Currie Cup competitions before his move to Lyon last summer.

Abrahams has an eye for the spectacular and his incredible solo try for Sharks against Leinster was nominated for the 2022/23 URC Try of the Season.

Billy Burns

Age: 30 (13/06/1994)

Position: Out-half

Ireland international Billy Burns joins Munster on a one-year contract after an excellent six years at Ulster Rugby.

The creative out-half made 114 appearances for Ulster since joining in 2018, scoring 120 points and nailing down the starting 10 jersey.

Prior to joining Ulster, Burns made 101 appearances for Gloucester after making his debut as a 17-year-old.

He made his Ireland debut against Wales in 2020 and has earned seven caps. Born in Bath, he qualifies for Ireland through his grandfather.

Tom Farrell

Age: 30 (01/10/1993)

Position: Centre

Tom Farrell joins Munster on a two-year deal after a very successful seven years at Connacht where he scored 21 tries in 112 appearances.

A former Ireland U20 international, Farrell joined Connacht from Bedford Blues in 2017 and quickly became a key member of their squad.

A creative midfielder with good offloading skills, Farrell earned a call-up to the Ireland squad for the 2019 Six Nations.

He has made 33 appearances for Connacht over the past two seasons, including starts in the 2022/23 URC quarter-final and semi-final.

Born in Dublin, Farrell came up through the ranks at Coolmine RFC before spending three years in the Leinster Academy.

He had spells with London Irish and Bedford Blues in England before a successful spell at Connacht.

Diarmuid Kilgallen

Age: 23 (03/08/2000)

Position: Back three

Exciting young speedster Kilgallen hails from Eadestown in Kildare and joins Munster on a two-year deal after scoring 12 tries in 23 appearances for Connacht.

He started out at Naas RFC before playing schools rugby for Cistercian College Roscrea on the Tipperary-Offaly border.

He joined the Connacht Academy in 2019 and made his debut against Munster in 2020.

A tall, athletic winger, he scored 10 tries in 15 appearances over the last two seasons.

Tony Butler

Age: 22 (23/04/2002)

Position: Out-half

A product of Ennis RFC, Butler has earned a two-year senior contract after a very productive three years in the Academy.

He has made eight senior appearances to date, including starts against the Dragons and Connacht last season.

A Grand Slam winner with the Ireland U20s in 2022, Butler now plays his Energia All-Ireland League rugby with Young Munster having previously lined out for Garryowen.

He captained Ennis at underage level, teaming up with fellow new senior squad member Ethan Coughlan at half-back as they enjoyed success in the Munster U16 and U18 Clubs competitions.

Tony Butler.

Ethan Coughlan

Age: 22 (13/04/2002)

Position: Scrum-half

Coughlan enjoyed an excellent 2023/24 campaign with six senior appearances and his first Munster try in the season-opener against Sharks.

In total, he made 10 senior appearances over his three years in the Academy and moves up on a two-year contract.

He enjoyed great success alongside Butler with Ennis at underage level, before captaining the Ireland U18 Clubs team.

He also won a Grand Slam with the Ireland U20s in 2022 and plays his All-Ireland League rugby with Shannon.

Ethan Coughlan.

Mark Donnelly

Age: 23 (14/03/2001)

Position: Prop

Mark Donnelly has signed a two-year contract having already made nine senior appearances for Munster as an Academy player after coming up through the ranks at Midleton RFC, Midleton College, and CBC Cork.

He was a Pinergy Munster Schools Senior Cup winner with CBC in 2019, and featured for the Ireland U20s in the 2021 Six Nations Championship.

He joined the Munster Academy that summer before making his senior debut, along with Butler and Coughlan, against Wasps in that memorable Champions Cup pool game in Coventry.

Along with his nine senior Munster appearances, Donnelly has also played regularly for Garryowen in the All-Ireland League over the last few years before lining out for Cork Constitution last season.

Mark Donnelly.

Edwin Edogbo

Age: 21 (21/12/2002)

Position: Lock

Academy lock Edwin Edogbo has earned a two-year contract after scoring three tries in 15 Munster appearances over the past two seasons.

Edwin came up through the ranks at Cobh Pirates and is the first player from the club to play for Munster in the professional era.

The 21-year-old plays his AIL rugby with UCC and is currently sidelined with an achilles injury.

Edwin Edogbo.

Brian Gleeson

Age: 20 (05/02/2004)

Position: Back-row forward

20-year-old Gleeson moves up to the senior squad on a two-year deal after just one year in the Academy that has seen him score one try in nine senior appearances.

He had already made three Champions Cup appearances before turning 20 having come up through the ranks at Thurles RFC and Rockwell College.

The powerful back-row forward was a Grand Slam winner with the Ireland U20s in 2023 and plays his AIL rugby with Garryowen. He captained the Ireland U20s in their World Championship semi-final defeat to England last week.