Ex-Ireland forward lands Munster job one season after retirement

Former Ireland back-rower Tommy O’Donnell has secured a Munster coaching role one year after his retirement from playing. It was April 2021 when the forward confirmed that he would hang up his boots at the end of the 2020/21 season, but the 35-year-old is now back at the Irish club just a year later.

O’Donnell made strides in coaching before his retirement from playing, joining the management ticket at All-Ireland League club UL Bohemian in 2020, and that foundation helped pave the way for him to take up a full-time role in the Munster academy.

A club statement read: “Three new appointments have been made to the Greencore Munster Rugby academy ahead of the new season. Tommy O’Donnell, who retired from the game last year after 200 senior appearances for Munster and Ireland, has been appointed elite player development officer and will be based at the HPC.

“The former flanker replaces Andi Kyriacou, who was appointed Munster Rugby forwards coach ahead of the new campaign

“Brendan O’Connor has been appointed to the position of elite player development officer and will be based at Musgrave Park. O’Connor, a former Munster and Connacht player, moves from his role as coach and player development officer.

“Matt Brown has been appointed as a pathway development coach and will be based at the HPC.

Brown has extensive coaching experience and led the Munster Women to the interpro title last year and was assistant coach of Pinergy Munster schools senior cup-winning Crescent College Comprehensive.”

The Munster academy is now headed up by Ian Costello, the former Wasps assistant who led the Irish province’s senior team to victory at the Coventry Building Society Arena last December in the absence of 48 players and staff for a Heineken Champions Cup pool match.

The coach has since published a 17-page case study on how changes at the club ensured they were ready to handle the emergency caused by pandemic restrictions in South Africa after the team had flown south for two URC matches.