Connacht close in on Will Connors signing

Connacht are set to strengthen their back row ahead of next season with the expected signing of openside flanker Will Connors from Leinster.

According to a report from The 42, the 29-year-old Ireland international is understood to be moving west this summer, where he will be reunited with Connacht head coach Stuart Lancaster, under whom he enjoyed some of the best rugby of his career at Leinster.

Connors, a Kildare native, is expected to join Connacht Rugby alongside current Leinster team-mate Ciarán Frawley, whose move for next season has already been confirmed by the western province.

The addition of Connors would represent another key step in Lancaster’s efforts to reshape the Connacht squad ahead of the 2026 campaign.

Connors rose to prominence during the 2019–20 season, a period that led to his international debut against Italy in the rescheduled 2020 Six Nations. Coached by Andy Farrell, Connors went on to earn a total of nine Ireland caps across 2020 and 2021.

Injuries have disrupted his progress in recent seasons, limiting his consistency at provincial and international level.

Despite those setbacks, Connors has remained a trusted option for Leinster Rugby when available, including starting the 2024 Investec Champions Cup final against Toulouse and featuring prominently in knockout matches against La Rochelle during that campaign.