200-Cap Rory Scannell To Depart Munster Rugby

Munster Rugby can confirm that 200-cap Rory Scannell will depart this summer after 12 years at his home province.

A Munster man through and through, the 31-year-old centre is one of only 16 players to have reached the 200-cap landmark and has also earned three caps for Ireland.

A former PBC student, Rory impressed for Dolphin RFC in the All Ireland League before starting every game of Ireland’s U20s Six Nations campaign in 2013.

Later that year, Rory featured for the Ireland U20s in the World Championships, where he featured in every game and scored 28 points.

He joined the Munster Rugby Academy ahead of the 2013/14 season and quickly made his senior Munster debut in a pre-season clash against London Irish at Virgin Media Park.

In his third year in the Academy, Scannell emerged as one of the standout players of the 2015/16 campaign and became the first player to win the Academy Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year award in the same season.

He made 26 appearances that year and established himself as an extremely influential member of the squad at the age of just 22.

Needing two wins in the final two games to secure Champions Cup rugby the following season, Scannell stepped up with the pressure on and scored three tries in the final two games of the campaign to ensure European qualification.

That campaign saw Rory and older brother Niall both start away to Dragons, becoming the first set of brothers to start for Munster in the PRO12/URC.

Rory graduated from the Academy to the senior squad that summer and in 2017, was named in the Ireland squad for the summer tour of Japan and the USA where he made his senior Ireland debut against the USA in New Jersey, kicking two conversions.

His brother Niall came on as a replacement in that game as the duo became the first Munster brothers to wear Irish jerseys together on the international stage in the professional era.

He started against Japan a week later and was involved in all three Test matches on that tour.

After finishing the 2017/18 season with 27 appearances and five tries to his name, Scannell continued to impress the following year and was the match-winner against Glasgow Warriors and Cheetahs in consecutive weeks with two long-range penalties.

His consistency and durability saw him become the youngest player to reach 100 Munster appearances at the age of just 25 when starting the March 2019 clash away to Scarlets.

He continued to rack up the appearances and played in 21 games during the 2019/20 campaign and 19 the following season.

The 31-year-old made his 150th Munster appearance against Ulster in January 2022 before helping Munster to a memorable victory over South Africa A at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in November 2022.

It was his second win against a touring side having also played in the victory over Maori All Blacks in 2016.

Scannell played a key role as Munster won the 2023 URC title, making 16 appearances and featuring in the quarter-final win over Glasgow and semi-final victory away to Leinster.

He made 14 appearances over the 2023/24 campaign, but an ankle injury against Ulster in the latter half of the season saw him miss the play-offs.

He has continued to make a vital contribution this year and made 13 appearances including a landmark 200th cap in his final appearance against Sharks in Saturday’s URC quarter-final.

Rory Scannell said: “It’s a huge honour to have played for my home club 200 times, particularly alongside my brother.

“It’s been a rollercoaster of ups and downs over the last 12 years, but I have made so many great memories that will live with me forever.

“I’ve met some great people here and made friends for life.

“The squad is in a great place and I just want to wish the club very best of luck going forward and I will be supporting them wherever I am.”

Head of Rugby Operations and Interim Head Coach Ian Costello said: “Everyone in the province couldn’t speak highly enough of Rory as a player and a person.

“Very few players have contributed as much as he has to Munster Rugby over the past 12 years both on and off the field.

“He is the youngest ever player to reach 100 caps for Munster and was a key member of our leadership group.

“He is the ultimate team player and an excellent team-mate, always putting the club before himself.

“An extremely popular member of the squad, he will be sorely missed and we wish him and his wife Aisling the very best for the future.”

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