Marmion Signs New Contract : Irish Rugby

Connacht Rugby and the IRFU have announced the extended contract of Kieran Marmion. The 21-year-old scrum half put pen to paper on a new deal that will see him play at the Sportsground until at least the summer of 2016.

Kieran Marmion was fast-tracked from year one of the Connacht Academy last season, after earning his first cap and start for the province against Cardiff Blues in the opening round of the RaboDirect PRO12.

Marmion came to Connacht via the IRFU Exiles system which helps Irish-qualified players overseas to make their way into professional rugby in Ireland.

He went on to start every game of the 2012/13 season and was the sole Connacht squad member and only player in the league to do so. Now with 36 caps to his name, Marmion has not missed a game for Connacht since his debut 14 months ago.

This season, he tops the westerners' try-scoring chats having crossed the line in matches against the Ospreys, Saracens and Leinster. His stand-out performances earned him the Connacht Player of the Month award for September.

Born in Brecon, Wales but with family hailing from Loughrea, County Galway, Marmion has been capped at Under-18, Under-19 and Under-20 levels by Ireland and was named this year in the Ireland squad for the summer tour of North America.

Connacht head coach Pat Lam said: "I'm delighted for Kieran and for Connacht Rugby that we have this new deal.

"Kieran is a fantastic player and a key member of our squad and it's a real boost that he sees his continued development and future with the province he started his professional career with.

"From day one, Kieran has impressed me with his attitude, work ethic and incredible maturity and I have no doubt that he will go on to achieve great things within Connacht and Irish rugby."

Marie Louise Reilly joined her Ireland team-mates Nora Stapleton and Lindsay Peat at a recent Dublin City Council event in support of the upcoming Women's Rugby World Cup. Reilly, who works as a DCC Sports Officer, said: "The team are coming together really well, we're working hard and hopefully August will be really memorable not just for us but for the whole country."

Fiona Coghlan, Women's Rugby World Cup 2017 Ambassador and Chair of the Dublin City Sports and Wellbeing Partnership, speaks about Dublin City Council's support of the tournament in August and the momentum and excitement building in the capital and around the four provinces for WRWC 2017.