Gibbons Moves Up To Munster Senior Squad On Development Deal
Former Ireland Under-20 international Fionn Gibbons is pictured during a Munster training session last year ©INPHO/Ben Brady
Centre/winger Fionn Gibbons will move up from the Munster Academy to the province’s senior squad this summer on a one-year development contract.
A Grand Slam winner with the Ireland Under-20 Men’s team in 2022, scoring three tries in four appearances, Gibbons plays his Energia All-Ireland League rugby with Young Munster RFC. He has made two senior appearances for Munster to date.
He becomes the fifth Academy player who will graduate to the senior squad for next season, with senior contracts already confirmed for winger Shay McCarthy, lock Evan O’Connell, back rower Ruadhán Quinn, and prop Kieran Ryan.
The 22-year-old, who first played rugby as a seven-year-old at Coolmine RFC, has returned to team training this week after recovering from a long-term knee injury sustained last season.
Speaking about how Gibbons would approach his recovery from a cruciate injury, Gearóid Prendergast, Munster’s Academy & Pathway Manager, said: “Fionn is a very resilient character, he’ll bounce back. He’s a good guy and a great player so hopefully he’ll come back a stronger player.”
Capable of playing in the centre and on the wing, he joined Munster’s Academy in 2022 after coming up through the ranks at Castleknock College.
He made his Munster debut against Connacht in October 2022, coming on as a second half replacement in midfield, and also featured off the bench against the Hollywoodbets Sharks at the start of last season.