'A fitting way for me to finish up': Munster legend Dave Kilcoyne to retire from rugby
Dave Kilcoyne has confirmed he is retiring from professional rugby after a 15-year career with Munster and Ireland.
Serious shoulder and Achilles tendon injuries, both of which required surgery, have restricted the loosehead prop to just five appearances in the last two seasons since Kilcoyne's return from the 2023 World Cup, at which he earned his 56th and final Ireland cap off the bench in the quarter-final defeat to New Zealand.
The 36-year-old has started just one game for Munster since, against Leinster at Christmas 2023, when his season was halted with a shoulder injury, while a separate pre-season injury the following summer saw him sidelined until last December.
Unfortunately, Kilcoyne was back on the treatment table after just two pre-Christmans appearances off the bench against Castres and Ulster and on Wednesday he accepted his retirement decision had been made for him after 220 appearances for his province, one of only 15 players to have reached the 200-cap landmark for Munster.
'Growing up living in Limerick, my dream was always to play for Munster and Ireland,' Kilcoyne said in a statement issued by Munster.
'To have done so for so long has been a dream come true.
'The last two years haven't gone as planned with surgeries to my shoulder and Achilles. In a way, it's easier that the decision to play on has been taken away from me.
'I take great pride in knowing that I always gave everything I had and left nothing on the pitch. It's almost a fitting way for me to finish up.
'I want to thank all the coaches that have influenced my career right the way up from UL Bohemians, Ardscoil Rís, Munster and Ireland.
'I want to thank my family who have been a constant support throughout my career. I certainly wouldn't have had the career I had if it wasn't for their unwavering support over the years.
'I want to thank all my team-mates that I shared the battlefield with over the years, a lot of whom are my best friends today.
'To the red army of Munster supporters that have cheered and supported me and my career since 2011, thank you – I look forward to joining you in the stands!' Kilcoyne also mapped out his future intentions beyond professional rugby adding: 'I'd also like to thank the University of Limerick (and my mother) for encouraging me and accommodating my education over the years. After my degree in Business Studies, I was able to complete an MSc in Business Project Management in 2019.
'I am just about to finish a Professional Diploma in Aircraft Leasing and Finance and hope to graduate in the summer. This wouldn't have been possible without the help and understanding of the lecturers and University.
'I'm extremely excited for what the next chapter brings and using all the skills and life lessons that my rugby career has given me.' A strong carrier, Kilcoyne excelled in open-field play as much as the set-piece and scored 22 tries for Munster and two for Ireland in a Test career that saw him make nine appearances at the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cups and contribute to the 2023 Six Nations Grand Slam success.
He also won the URC with Munster in 2022-2023, 13 years after joining the academy after coming through the ranks at Ardscoil Rís and UL Bohemian.
Kilcoyne was in the academy when he earned his senior debut, against Connacht in December 2011 and he helped Munster A to the British & Irish Cup title in April 2012. Graduating to the senior squad that summer, a Champions Cup debut followed in October 2012 away to Racing 92 and Declan Kidney handed the front-rower his Ireland debut a month later against South Africa, the breakout season capped by a Six Nations debut in 2013 and a tour to North America that summer.
One of the most durable players in the Munster squad, Kilcoyne was his province's most used player in 2013-14, when he played in 30 of 31 games and was named on the PRO12 Dream Team. He played in 26 of 28 competitive games in 2015-16 and made the most appearances of the 2016-17 campaign, playing in 31 games.
Kilcoyne reached 150 appearances in 2017-18, and his 200th for Munster in February 2022, with his final game coming last December off the bench at Ulster.
Head of Rugby Operations and Interim Head Coach Ian Costello paid tribute to the prop.
'We knew Killer had the potential to be a fantastic player for Munster and Ireland when he came into our Academy in 2010,' Costello said.
'He certainly fulfilled that potential and to have played a combined 276 games for Munster and Ireland is an outstanding achievement.
'I know everyone at Ardscoil Rís and UL Bohs have taken huge pride in his accomplishments since he made his Munster debut in 2011.
'Along with being a quality player, he is a great character and will be sorely missed around the HPC.
'I'm sure he will enjoy great success in whatever he chooses to do next and we wish him and his family the very best for the future.' IRFU Performance Director David Humphreys added: 'It is never an easy day for a player to hang up their boots, but Dave can look back on his career with immense pride.
'As both a character and a driving force on the field he will be missed, but to play more than 50 times for his country tells you all you need to know about his abilities as a high-class loosehead prop.
'Dave made an enormous contribution to the red of Munster and green of Ireland and he can reflect on playing his part on a successful era for Irish rugby.
'On behalf of everyone in Irish rugby I would like to wish him and his family the very best in the future.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
43 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Munster will need to dip into their reserves of emotional energy in Durban
If Munster are to defy the odds against a Sharks side studded with World Cup winners and X factor in front of a 54,000-capacity crowd in next Saturday's BKT URC quarter-final at Kings Park in Durban, as ever on such occasions the collective performance will have to add up to more than the sum of their parts. To that end, Munster will again need dip into their reserves of emotional energy. Munster's history is, unfortunately at times, sprinkled with examples of them uniting in times of need, most notably in their Champions Cup win over Glasgow at a crammed Thomond Park in October 2016 the day after Anthony Foley's funeral. More recently, the team and supporters were united in their last two regular-season games against Ulster and Benetton to ensure a fitting farewell for Peter O'Mahony, Conor Murray and Stephen Archer, and secure the two wins required to qualify for these play-offs and next season's Champions Cup. That trio's Munster finale will remain a factor, and so will paying tribute to Michelle Payne, wife of former fullback Shaun and a one-time employee of the Munster Branch, and Sheelagh Foley, wife of former player Brendan and mother of 'Axel'. READ MORE In extending 'our deepest sympathies' to the two families, interim head coach Ian Costello said: 'They were two very important people in the Munster community and a massive loss to us this week, and that's very close to our hearts.' Speaking from Durban after the squad's arrival there, Costello added: 'Brendan rang me Sunday morning to almost apologise for not coming and wished us the best. 'Obviously Michelle and Shaun were huge in the club as well. That's really important to the group this week especially as we're in South Africa.' As Shaun Payne was fullback on the 2006 Heineken Cup-winning and also played for the Sharks, tributes to both families are being discussed. 'Rugby is a very, very emotional game and I think any contact sport is,' said Costello. 'People talk about physically and mentally where you have to be. I think the third part of that is emotionally: are you ready to invest everything you have and leave everything out on the pitch? [ Jack Crowley passed fit for Munster's journey to Durban Opens in new window ] 'That's you as an individual and you as a team. And when emotionally you're connected to a purpose or to a cause that comes out in any team sport, especially one as physically demanding as rugby, and then when you add in pride in terms of our province, our identity and what we stand for, what we represent. How much we want to make people proud of our performance, so they can identify with who we are and what we're about. I think all of that amplifies a lot of the good that's there already and a lot of sports teams do it really well. 'We really leaned into it the last couple of weeks to represent people that we really care about and what they mean to the organisation and that came out in the performance. We will continue that on this week as well.' Sean O'Brien of Munster tries to tackle Aphelele Fassi of Sharks at Kings Park, Durban on October 26th, 2024. Photograph: Darren Stewart/Inpho That said, utilising emotion is a balancing act. 'I won't go into what was said but Tadhg (Beirne) and Peter (O'Mahony) over the last couple of weeks, supported by other key guys like Jack (Crowley) and Craig (Casey), spoke so well about using that emotion but also making sure it's balanced with a performance that's built on execution and accuracy and being really smart. 'Same thing as discipline, if you're over-aroused you give away too many penalties but you want to be playing right on that edge. When you've got coaches who are on it the way they are on it, and senior players that have lived it so many times, that really helps.' Although conditions will not be unduly warm at the 6.30pm kick-off local time (5.30pm Irish), Costello said the humidity will make the ball very slippery. 'We'll train appropriately, in having the ball greasy at training and making sure that if the handling skills are difficult that we've contingencies around where we play the game and how we play the game.' Mike Haley of Munster and Eben Etzebeth of Sharks at Kings Park, Durban. Photograph: Darren Stewart/Inpho Munster will be seeking to win three matches in succession for the first time this season but touring also tightens the squad and they lifted the URC trophy two seasons ago by ending long unbeaten home runs at Glasgow, Leinster and the Bulls. The Sharks finished third with 62 points, compared to just 25 points when 14th last season, making them the most improved side this season. 'We obviously know that the quality is there. What we've seen over the last few weeks is how good they are off the ball, a team that's highly motivated, that scramble well, they're off the ground quickly. 'If you make a line break it takes a lot of finishing before you score. That's one of the key differences that we've picked up. Their work off the ball and their non-talent stuff is in a really good place in the last six to eight games anyway,' said Costello, who also singled out the Sharks' ability in transition. Costello maintained this game 'absolutely isn't a free shot'. 'Now that we're here, we're very, very ambitious on what we want to achieve,' he added. He believes the travelling squad is stronger than when beaten 41-24 by the Sharks in Durban last October in what proved to be Graham Rowntree's last game as head coach but admitted: 'We need to get to our best or very, very close to it. We need to be accurate. We need to execute well and physically, mentally and emotionally we need to be at the right pitch. 'If we go out and play as ourselves, if we're clear about our DNA, our identity, we want to play high-paced rugby, we want to keep the ball alive, we want to play with really, really quick rucks, to play in the right parts of the field, do that with a platform of having a really solid set-piece, and then apply our line speed and our contact work; if we can be true to our identity around those, that I think would beat anybody on their day.'
2 hours ago
Liverpool legend absent from Senegal squad to face Ireland at Aviva Stadium
Senegal's side for the June 6 friendly against Ireland will not include former Liverpool striker Sadio Mane. The 33-year-old has been omitted for their two games - against Ireland and England - after he requested to be left out of head coach Pape Thiaw's squad. Senegal face the Boys in Green on June 6 and four days later they take on Thomas Tuchel's England in Nottingham. Mane is the most notable absentee from Thiaw's 26-strong panel - and the coach insisted that he was happy to leave out the 33-year-old. 'It's a personal decision that is his private business, and I respect that as a coach,' he said as he announced his squad. Mane has been capped 113 times for Senegal and has scored 45 goals. He left Liverpool, where he won the Premier League and Champions League, in 2022 to join Bayern Munich, and he is currently in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr, where he is teammates with Cristiano Ronaldo. Senegal have brought one new face into their squad - midfielder Mamadou Lamine Camara. Seven players return after missing their World Cup qualifiers in March, when they drew 0-0 away to Sudan and beat Togo 2-0. They include Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson and Everton's Iliman Ndiaye. New Ireland call-up John Patrick's Stade Reims teammate Yevhann Diouf is in the squad, as are former Chelsea goalkeeper Edourad Mendy, Tottenham midfielder Pape Matar Sarr, Everton's Idrissa Gueye and Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr. Mory Diaw (Rodez), Yevhann Diouf (Stade Reims), Edouard Mendy (Al Ahli) Abdou Diallo (Al Arabi), El Hadj Malick Diouf (Slavia Prague), Ismail Jakobs (Galatasaray), Kalidou Koulibaly (Al Hilal), Antoine Mendy (Nice), Moussa Niakhate (Olympique Lyonnais), Abdoulaye Seck (Maccabi Haifa) Lamine Camara (Monaco), Mamadou Lamine Camara (Renaissance Berkane), Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Habib Diarra (Racing Strasbourg), Krepin Diatta (Monaco), Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton), Pape Gueye (Villarreal), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur) Boulaye Dia (Lazio), Idrissa Gueye (Metz), Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea), Cherif Ndiaye (Red Star Belgrade), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton), Cheikh Sabaly (Metz), Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace), Abdallah Sima (Stade Brest).
RTÉ News
3 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Ian Costello: Quarter-final not a 'free shot' for Munster
While the pressure of securing Investec Champions Cup qualification is off their backs, Ian Costello insists Munster are by no means in bonus-territory ahead of Saturday's BKT United Rugby Championship quarter-final against the Sharks. A 32-man squad arrived in Durban this week for what could be two weeks in South Africa; if they win on Saturday, they will likely move on to Pretoria for a semi-final versus the Bulls. There was great relief at the province this month when wins over Ulster and Benetton saw them scrape into the play-offs, and crucially secured their Champions Cup place for next season. And although Costello admits that has lifted a weight off their shoulders, he says there is still a pressure for them to deliver in knockout rugby. "It absolutely isn't a free shot," Munster's interim coach said, ahead of Saturday's quarter-final. "There's an expectation we need to be in knockout rugby, there's a lot of pressure to get there. But now that we're here, we're very, very ambitious on what we want to achieve. "We all know that we had to get into the play-offs. We had to get into the Champions Cup, that's the expectation that comes with Munster, rightly so. "I think it was really important that we drew a line under that first. We put an awful lot into that physically, mentally and particularly emotionally in that last two weeks. There was so much to be pleased with in those last two weeks." While the play-offs officially start this weekend, Munster have effectively been playing knockout rugby for much longer, with their season on the line for those games against Benetton and Ulster. And while those games were physically and emotionally draining experiences, Costello says they've come to South Africa feeling fresh after a much needed weekend off. "This group, over the last couple of weeks, have really showed how much they care about each other. It came out in the way we trained, prepared, what we would have seen behind closed doors and what you would have seen in the performances. "You don't get the intensity and physicality of a performance like that unless there is a real deep care and it means a huge amount to this group. "I think that was huge to get that job done, but we've had a taste of play-offs before, we've played a few knock-out this year, more than we would have liked, especially over the last couple of weeks. That's set us up to have a real crack at this week, so it's a fresh focus and just really excited about play-off rugby." Saturday's quarter-final also brings them back to the site of one of this season's low points when they were beaten 41-24 by the Sharks in Round 5 of the regular season, with head coach Graham Rowntree leaving his role just a few days later. But Costello, who has been in interim charge since then, says they aren't motivated by what happened on that tour. "No, that hasn't come into it at all of I'm honest. "I think the squad is in a different place. You look at the squad that actually travelled over here, we looked at it yesterday and there's a huge difference between the squad that travelled over in October versus the squad that's over here this weekend, or this week. "It feels like there's an awful lot more experience, guys really hitting their form, as I said, really competitive. We've had two weeks and that really helps. "We know them [the Sharks] really well. We've looked at their last half dozen games as we always do. But a huge amount of focus has been on us, if I'm honest. Look at how we've improved over the last period and how we've managed two very, very high pressure games. "Essentially, we're into the third knockout game in a row now because effectively that's what it was. So we've extracted a lot of our learnings around that, that has confidence in the group and it keeps the focus on who we are and what we do well as well." There was positive news this week with confirmation that out-half Jack Crowley (below) will be fit after recovering from a rib injury picked up in Round 18, while Diarmuid Barron and Jeremy Loughman are also back on deck after missing time with injury. And Costello says a healthy squad will be vital if they're to go on a repeat run of their title win from 2023. "I suppose you go back six months and our availability was not where we would have liked it to be. There was a lot of challenges and changes at the club, and we probably didn't have the deep squad to select from those early games and that's what's so pleasing about where we're at now. The squad is really competitive. "That comes out in selection, but it also comes out in training every day, so it means every single training session is better. People are really driven to perform in training, they know that training matters and there's probably 27, 28 guys that are really competitive to make a 23, or even a 15 at the moment. That drives standards right across the board. "Bar a couple of players, we're in a pretty good position in terms of the health of our squad this week, and will need to be," Costello added.
