Kieran Marmion to depart Connacht at end of season

Connacht and Ireland scrum-half Kieran Marmion will leave the province at the end of the season.

Connacht confirmed the 31-year-old will leave the province after making 224 appearances for the side.

Since making his debut in 2012, Marmion has been a key part of Connacht's progress, and was one of their standout players in their historic PRO12 victory in 2016.

However, injuries and the form of Caolin Blade has limited his game time in the last couple of seasons, and will now seek new opportunities elsewhere.

#ThanksMarmo

After 11 seasons and 224 appearances, Kieran Marmion will depart the club at the end of the season.

Read his full statement here: https://t.co/KGNG1NoSJJ pic.twitter.com/aeLrI82T5n

— Connacht Rugby (@connachtrugby) March 1, 2023

Marmion has also won 28 caps for Ireland, with the last of those coming in 2020. He was part of Ireland's Grand Slam winning side in 2018, and their win over New Zealand.

In a statement, Marmion said:

"It’s been a really tough decision for me to leave Connacht Rugby. I can’t thank the club enough for the opportunity that they have given me. I’d also like to thank the coaches that I’ve worked with over the years, the many players I’ve played alongside, and the fans for their dedicated support and passion throughout my time here. I cannot express how much it means to us players when you show up week in, week out to support us.

"The people of Connacht have been so welcoming to me ever since I moved over and I’ve been honoured to call the place home for the past 12 years. While my time at the club has come to an end I am excited about the next chapter of my career.

"I will always look back on my time with Connacht Rugby with huge pride and I wish the club continued success both on