Rugby:Connacht were boosted with the news of local players, Andrew Browne and Eoin Griffin, both extending their contracts to remain at the Sportsground for another two years.
Browne, younger brother of former Connacht favourite and current Brive secondrow Damien, came through the Connacht Academy system in 2007 and has enjoyed regular game time since then - winning 45 Magners League caps and 16 in the Amlin Challenge Cup.
He also won his first cap for the Irish Wolfhounds in February and was previously part of the Ireland Under-20 side which won the Grand Slam in 2007
“Playing rugby in your home town is great, growing up in Galway and playing youth rugby here it was always my goal to play for the province,” said Browne.
Griffin, also a Galway native, has played most of his early rugby with Galway Corinthians. The outside centre has nine caps for Ireland at Under-20, scoring a try against Argentina and Samoa in the IRB Junior World Championships last year as well as tries against Wales and England in the 2010 U20 Six Nations.
He received the man-of-the-match award in Connacht’s 26- 22 victory over Samoa last November and was a try scorer in the province’s derby defeat to Leinster on New Year’s Day.
“To be part of the Connacht set-up as a Galway-man is fantastic,” said Griffin. “You always hope that you’ll make it and though I’ve always been confident in my ability, to be given the opportunity to prove myself is superb.”
“The Academy set-up is very good under Nigel Carolan and I’ve received some top quality coaching that has prepared me really well for the step-up to Magners League.”
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