The 2024–25 season was Munster Rugby's fourth season in the United Rugby Championship, and their 137th season of representative rugby since their foundation. Along with competing in the URC and its Irish Shield competition, the club also participated in the 2024-25 European Rugby Champions Cup, their 31st season of European and professional competition.
On 29 October 2024, Munster announced the departure of Graham Rowntree by mutual agreement after four losses in six games in the United Rugby Championship. Ian Costello took over as interim head coach. In February, Munster announced that New Zealander Clayton McMillan had agreed to take the role from the end of the season, and that Mike Prendergast would take the interim role for the remainder of the campaign.
Following a poor start, including four losses from six games in the league, that was eventually to cost coach Graham Rowntree his position, the province was able to salvage its position somewhat, making the knock-out stages of both the European Rugby Champions Cup and the United Rugby Championship; in the former, an impressive away win in the Round of 16 at Stade Rochelais led to a quarter-final defeat against eventual champions Bordeaux Begles (UBB); in the latter Munster were eliminated after a penalty shoot-out in the quarter-final away to Sharks.
Munster Rugby drew an average home attendance of 14,437 in the 2024-25 URC season.https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/2025/04/04/in-another-staggered-season-rugbys-urc-has-lurched-along-all-the-while-breaking-attendance-records/
Senior squad
Coaching and management staff
Position Name Nationality Head coach vacant Mike Prendergast (interim) Attack coach Mike Prendergast Forwards coach Andi Kyriacou Defence coach Denis Leamy Skills coach Mossy Lawler Performance analyst and technical coach George Murray Team manager Niall O'Donovan Head of rugby operations Ian Costello Head of athletic performance Ged McNamara Strength and conditioning coach Adam Sheehan
Senior squad
Munster Rugby senior squadProps Stephen Archer Mark Donnelly Oli Jager Dave Kilcoyne Jeremy Loughman John Ryan Roman Salanoa Josh Wycherley
Hookers Diarmuid Barron Scott Buckley
Niall Scannell
Locks Thomas Ahern Tadhg Beirne (c) Edwin Edogbo Cian Hurley Jean Kleyn Fineen WycherleyBack row Gavin Coombes Jack Daly Brian Gleeson John Hodnett Alex Kendellen Jack O'Donoghue Peter O'Mahony
Scrum-halves Craig Casey Ethan Coughlan Conor Murray Paddy Patterson
Fly-halves Billy Burns Tony Butler Jack CrowleyCentres Tom Farrell Alex Nankivell Seán O'Brien Rory Scannell
Back three Thaakir Abrahams Patrick Campbell Liam Coombes Shane Daly Mike Haley Diarmuid Kilgallen Calvin Nash (c) denotes the team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped players. * denotes players qualified to play for Ireland on residency or dual nationality. ST denotes a short-term signing. L denotes a player on loan at the club. Players and their allocated positions from the Munster Rugby website.
Academy squad
Coaching and management staff
Position Name Nationality Academy and pathway manager Gearóid Prendergast Elite player development officer Brendan O'Connor Elite player development officer Tommy O'Donnell Pathway development coach Matt Brown National talent coach Mark Butler Strength and conditioning coach Danielle Cunningham
Academy squad
Munster Rugby academy squadProps George Hadden (2) Ronan Foxe (2) Darragh McSweeney (3) Kieran Ryan (3)
Hookers Danny Sheahan (1) Max Clein (2)
Locks Michael Foy (1) Evan O'Connell (3)Back row Seán Edogbo (1) Luke Murphy (1) Ruadhán Quinn (3)
Scrum-halves Jake O'Riordan (1) Jack Oliver (3)
Fly-halves Dylan Hicks (2)Centres Gene O'Leary Kareem (1) Fionn Gibbons (3)
Back three Shay McCarthy (2) Ben O'Connor (2) Bold denotes internationally capped players, number in brackets indicates players stage in the three-year academy cycle. * denotes players qualified to play for Ireland on residency or dual nationality. Players and their allocated positions from the Munster Rugby website.
Transfers
United Rugby Championship
Standings
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
Round 10
Round 11
Round 12
Round 13
Round 14
Round 15
Round 16
Round 17
Round 18
Munster Rugby qualify for the play-offs.
Play-offs
Bracket
Quarter-final Munster are eliminated from the Championship.
URC Irish Shield
European Rugby Champions Cup
Pool matches
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Knockout stages
Round of 16 Munster finished their European Rugby Champions Cup pool campaign as the ninth seed, and were therefore drawn away in the round of 16 to the eighth seed, La Rochelle.
Quarterfinal
Munster are eliminated from the competition.
Friendlies and challenge matches
Overall Record Competitive ties only: + Munster RugbyPlayedWonDrawnLost%PFPA+/-TFTA+/-16121The play-off match against Sharks ended 24-24 after extra time and is counted as a draw. Sharks won the penalty kick battle 6-4.1250.00618593 +259078 +12
Home attendance End of season.
Domestic LeagueEuropean CupTotal League FixturesTotal Attendance Average Attendance Highest Lowest League FixturesTotal Attendance Average Attendance Highest Lowest Total Attendance Average Attendance2024–25 United Rugby Championship 9 Including two matches at Musgrave Park129,931 14,437 26,267 8,193 2024–25 European Rugby Champions Cup 239,271 19,636 22,030 17,241 169,104 not including friendly matches 15,378
References