Kieran Marmion to depart Connacht in the summer

Ireland international and Connacht scrum-half Kieran Marmion will bring the curtain down on a distinguished career at the Sportsground after it was confirmed he will depart at the end of the season.

The 31-year-old, who made his Connacht debut in 2012 and is third in all-time appearances for the club behind John Muldoon and Michael Swift, will make his exit once his contract expires in the summer.

With 224 appearances to his name over the course of 11 seasons, Marmion has been a long-serving figure at the club, and a central figure in the memorable 2016 campaign that ended with Connacht landing the Pro12 title.

The 28-cap international was a regular in Irish squads under Joe Schmidt, and was the starting scrum-half in November 2018 when Ireland claimed a first-ever home win over New Zealand.

"It's been a really tough decision for me to leave Connacht Rugby," he said.

"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.

Director of Rugby Andy Friend paid tribute to Marmion's contribution at the Sportsground.

"We are obviously very disappointed to see him go, but we fully appreciate that he has to do what he feels is right for him and his career over the next few years.

"He will rightly go down as one of the all-time great players for this province"

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