LIAM Coombes will leave Munster at the end of the season, bringing down the curtain on his long association with the province.
The Skibbereen man (28) has been unlucky with injuries in recent seasons that have curtailed his involvement with Munster. Coombes scored six tries in 19 Munster appearances since making a try-scoring debut against Cheetahs in Bloemfontein in November 2017.
The former Ireland U20 star, who came up through the ranks at Skibbereen RFC, also played a role in Munster’s URC winning campaign in 2022/23, scoring two tries in seven appearances, including a vital bonus-point try against Lions in January 2023. Coombes was involved with the Greencore Munster Rugby Academy for three years before moving up to the Munster senior squad in the summer of 2020.
Clonakilty man Cian Hurley, a product of Clonakilty RFC, will also be leaving Munster at the end of the season, having made five appearances for the province. Like Coombes, Hurley (25) has suffered with injuries that have limited his involvement over the past two seasons. He made his senior Munster debut in 2021 when he was 20 years old, and paired with Tom Ahern (21) in the second row against Benetton, they became the youngest starting second row combination for Munster Rugby in the professional era. The Clon man played four games in Munster’s URC winning campaign.
Also, Kinsale man Scott Buckley (24), currently on loan at Ealing Trailfinders, will leave Munster at the end of the season, too. Having joined the Munster Academy in 2020, he scored three tries in 24 Munster appearances. Buckley made nine appearances in the 2022/23 season, helping Munster to URC glory.
