Connacht Rugby set for New York this St. Patrick's Day

The Connacht Rugby Under-17s team is set to play Rugby United New York as part of a tour of New York this St. Patrick's Day. 

Connacht Rugby is delighted to announce that the Connacht Rugby U17 squad will play Rugby United New York (RUNY) on Sunday, Mar 15 as part of a Tour to New York this March. The game, which will take place at MCU Park, Brooklyn, will precede the RUNY v Seattle Seawolves MLR fixture.

The team, who are led by coaching team, Gavin Foley and JP Walsh, and team manager Richard Doyle, will make the trip along with a Connacht Rugby contingent who will undertake several activities to engage with the Irish diaspora and the rugby community of the Tri-State region. 

Read more: Connacht Rugby celebrates the idea of "Home" in the west of Ireland

“We’re very excited to be welcoming Connacht Rugby to New York for our season opener against Seattle Seawolves,” shared Simon Gillespie, Academy Director at Rugby United New York.

“We hope to use this opportunity to launch our RUNY High School All-Star program and showcase the best of local talent in New York against a Tier 1 club pathway players.”

An Evening with Connacht Rugby

A reception, "An Evening with Connacht Rugby", will be held on Monday, Mar 16 at Bank of Ireland’s Innovation Lab, 2 Grand Central Tower, NY 10017. Former Irish internationals Eric Elwood and Gavin Duffy will be amongst the panelists on the night. To register for this event please visit www.iibn.com. 

New York St. Patrick's Day Parade

The tour will be rounded off by the squad’s partaking in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the young players who will be greeted by an audience of almost two million spectators along the streets of Manhattan.

Commenting ahead of the trip, CEO of Connacht Rugby Willie Ruane said: “This tour will provide our U17 squad with an immense opportunity to grow as rugby players on and off the field under our vision of ‘Grassroots to Green Shirts’. We are delighted to be undertaking this trip and look forward to meeting those at Rugby United New York and members of the Irish diaspora next month.”

For more visit www.connachtrugby.ie.