Ins & Outs 26/27: Every new signing & departure for Munster, Leinster, Connacht & Ulster

by RugbyLAD Team · September 21, 2026

About
Latest Posts

Ins & Outs.

The new rugby season is almost here, with all four Irish provinces making changes to their senior squads ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

Connacht and Ulster have completed the most extensive rebuilds, while Munster have added four new signings and promoted five players from their academy.

Leinster’s incoming business has been limited, but the defending URC champions have welcomed Joey Carbery and Peter Dooley back to the province.

Here is the full list of confirmed senior-squad arrivals, academy promotions and departures for Munster, Leinster, Connacht and Ulster.

Munster

Players in
Marnus van der Merwe – Scarlets
Jack Aungier – Connacht
Will Harrison – Hanazono Kintetsu Liners
Kieran Brookes – Perpignan
Seán Edogbo – promoted from academy
Ben O’Connor – promoted from academy
Ronan Foxe – promoted from academy
Max Clein – promoted from academy
Ben O’Donovan – promoted from academy

Tony Butler has also returned to the Munster set-up after initially being released at the end of last season.

Players out
Jean Kleyn – Gloucester
Thaakir Abrahams – Bulls
Fionn Gibbons – Ealing Trailfinders
Andrew Smith – Eastern Suburbs
Roman Salanoa – Nenagh Ormond
Niall Scannell – retired
John Ryan – retired
Oli Jager – retired
Paddy Patterson – released
Conor Bartley – released

Leinster

Players in

Joey Carbery – Bordeaux
Peter Dooley – Connacht
Stephen Smyth – promoted from academy
Conor O’Tighearnaigh – promoted from academy
Joshua Kenny – promoted from academy

Players out
James Lowe – Tokyo Sungoliath
Rieko Ioane – returned to the Blues following his sabbatical
Ciarán Frawley – Connacht
Will Connors – Connacht
Jerry Cahir – Connacht
Luke McGrath – Perpignan
Rabah Slimani – Toulon
John McKee – Scarlets

Connacht

Players in

Ciarán Frawley – Leinster
Will Connors – Leinster
Jerry Cahir – Leinster
François van Wyk – Bath
Thomas Connolly – Old Belvedere
Fiachna Barrett – promoted from academy
Seán Naughton – promoted from academy
Matthew Victory – promoted from academy
Billy Bohan – promoted from academy

Players out
Joe Joyce – Gloucester
Matthew Devine – Ulster
Jack Aungier – Munster
Peter Dooley – Leinster
Chay Mullins – Ulster
Jack Carty – retired
Denis Buckley – released
Temi Lasisi – released
Oisín Dowling – released
Oisín McCormack – released
David Hawkshaw – released

Ulster

Players in
Eli Snyman – Benetton
Matthew Devine – Connacht
Ben Donnell – Cardiff
Jamie Benson – Harlequins
Eduardo Bello – Newcastle Red Bulls
Keynan Knox – Nevers
Chay Mullins – Connacht
Daniel Hawkshaw – Clontarf
Martin Moloney – Exeter Chiefs
Bryn Ward – promoted from academy
Henry Walker – promoted from academy
Aitzol Arenzana-King – promoted from academy

Players out
Angus Bell – NSW Waratahs
Werner Kok – Newcastle Red Bulls
James Humphreys – Ealing Trailfinders
Matthew Dalton – Kobelco Kobe Steelers
John Andrew – released
Ben Moxham – released
Rory McGuire – released
Bryan O’Connor – released
Marcus Rea – released
Sean Reffell – released
David Shanahan – released
Lorcan McLoughlin – released

The list covers confirmed changes to each province’s senior squad, including players promoted from their respective academies, ahead of the opening weekend of the 2026/27 domestic season.