Latest news with #ConorPhillips


The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I played for Munster in rugby with Conor Murray & Simon Zebo – now I'm looking to be next Irish sensation on reality TV
PROFESSIONAL rugby player Conor Phillips was revealed as the surprise new OG for this year's Love Island. The 4 Conor Phillips has joined this year's Love Island cast Credit: ITV 4 The rugby player grew up in Co Limerick Credit: Instagram 4 He describes himself as 'the class clown type' Credit: Sportsfile - Subscription Conor has now taken his place in the starting line-up for the latest series of the hit The former Munster winger is no stranger to pressure but now he's swapping WHO IS CONOR PHILLIPS? Conor, who was born in 1999, grew up in Co Limerick and attended Crescent College in Dooradoyle. The 25-year-old describes himself as "the class clown type" and told how from "being in big teams and groups" all the time, he's "always mixing things up, stirring the pot". READ MORE ON LOVE ISLAND Outside of sport, he loves to travel and often shares snaps from his trips on RUGBY ROOTS Conor played schools rugby with College Crescent and went on to represent Munster at under-18, under-19 and under-20. He later lined out for Young Munster and was part of the team that defeated Garyowen to win the Munster Senior Cup in 2022. Conor rose through the ranks in Irish rugby after impressing with Munster's A team and in the Celtic Cup. MOST READ IN THE IRISH SUN He was brought into Munster's academy in 2021 and made his senior debut the following year. The winger played twice in the 2022/23 United Rugby Championship - first against Zebre Parma in He was released from the squad at the end of the season. Before that, Conor played for In 2021, he was called up to the Ireland 7s team and went on to play in major international tournaments in cities like Vancouver, Singapore and Hong Kong. LOVE ISLAND Now, the Munster man is set to touch down in Majorca for the brand new season of He is following in the footsteps of Limerick lad and Ireland 7s star Conor will be stepping into the villa alongside twelve other hopefuls, including He has said he's looking for "someone who is really sure of themselves, ambitious, a bit of a go-getter and good craic. I like dark eyes and I don't mind a dominant woman." When it comes to turn offs, he says: "Being too needy, or needing to do everything together. I like someone to be independent and do their own thing and then we come together and do our thing." In his official announcement pic, Conor is flanked by beauties Helena Ford and Megan Clarke. The rugby player promises to bring some mischief to the villa, describing himself as "the class clown type". He said: "Being in big teams and groups all the time, I'm always mixing things up, stirring the pot." The Limerick native said presenter He said: "I ask girls if they want to go halves on a baby. It doesn't work, but it gets them laughing. It's an ice-breaker, not a serious question of course." 4 The Munster man is set to touch down in Majorca for the brand new season Credit: Instagram


Sunday World
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Irish rugby player joins cast of Love Island ahead of its return to TV next week
Two Irish singles are set to appear on the dating show An Irish rugby player has joined the cast of Love Island ahead of its return to TV next week. Conor Phillips, a 25-year-old from Limerick, has played for both Ireland and Munster. Ahead of his debut on the ITV dating show, he said he is looking for a 'dominant woman.' 'Someone who is really sure of themselves, ambitious, a bit of a go-getter and good craic. I like dark eyes and I don't mind a dominant woman.' Conor Phillips News in 90 Seconds - 5th June 2025 When asked if he would be hired or fired by presenter Maya Jama based on his flirting skills he said 'definitely hire.' 'I ask girls if they want to go halves on a baby,' he said. 'It doesn't work, but it gets them laughing. It's an ice-breaker, not a serious question of course!' The Limerick man said his biggest ick was someone who was 'too needy'. 'I like someone to be independent and do their own thing and then we come together and do our thing.' When asked to finish the statement 'You're a 10 but…', he confessed: 'I don't like to answer to anyone else. 'I like to do my own thing. It's something I'm working on for a relationship. Hopefully I've improved!' The Ireland 7s wing will replace Kyle Ashman, who left the show days before its launch. His shock exit came after reports alleged that he was involved in a machete attack in February. The 23-year-old who hails from Stafford was cleared by police, and in a statement he told MailOnline: 'I fully cooperated with this police investigation and made it very clear that I had no involvement in this incident.' 'I am not a violent person and any suggestion otherwise is a mischaracterisation.' Philips is not the only Irish person destined for the Love Island villa. Dubliner Megan Forte Clarke is also set to appear on the show. Megan Forte Clarke (Instagram) The 24-year-old actress lives in Brighton, England. Describing herself as a 'musical theatre performer', the brunette beauty also works as an energy broker. Ahead of the show's return on Monday, June 9th, Clarke opened up about the type of man she's looking for in the villa. 'Someone who doesn't take themselves too seriously and has a sense of humour. If they're not bad looking, that's always a plus,' she said. 'I love a boy that's a bit pasty, like Timothée Chalamet. I don't mind scrawny, or a bit of a 'dad bod'. 'I'm 5ft1 so any height really.' When asked about her 'claim to fame', the theatre lover said: 'Me and my friends made a Derry Girls TikTok for Halloween and it went a bit viral around Brighton. 'Sometimes I get stopped in the street about it. I've also done Panto.' She will be joined by 11 other contestants hoping to find love in the sun this summer. Love Island starts on Monday June 9th at 9pm on Virgin Media One.


Irish Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Post
Limerick rugby star Conor Phillips one of two Irish contestants as Love Island returns
TWO Irish contestants are set to compete in the latest edition of Love Island, which returns to our screens this month. Limerick rugby star Conor Phillips is among the line-up for the show, which kicks off next week. Limerick rugby star Conor Phillips The sportsman was a last-minute addition to the series, replacing Kyle Ashman who left the show last month. Phillips, 25, said he's looking for "someone who is really sure of themselves, ambitious, a bit of a go-getter and good craic' while on the show. 'I like dark eyes and I don't mind a dominant woman,' he added. 'I like someone to be independent and do their own thing and then we come together and do our thing,' he explained. Also in the villa is Dubliner Megan Forte-Clarke, who is a musical theatre performer and an energy broker. Megan Forte-Clarke hails from Dublin but lives in Brighton The 24-year-old, who now lives in Brighton, said she is after 'someone who doesn't take themselves too seriously and has a sense of humour'. She added: 'If they're not bad looking, that's always a plus. 'I love a boy that's a bit pasty, like Timothée Chalamet. I don't mind scrawny, or a bit of a 'dad bod'.' Love Island returns on June 9 Love Island returns on ITV2 and ITVX on June 9. See More: Conor Phillips, Dublin Megan Forte-Clarke, Limerick, Love Island


Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Former Munster and Irish Rugby Sevens player looking for ‘dominant woman' with ‘dark eyes' set to enter Love Island Villa
Conor Phillips (25), a former Munster Rugby and Irish Rugby Sevens player will enter the villa for the 12th season of the show, starting next week. He follows in the footsteps of Limerick man and former Rugby Sevens player Greg O'Shea, who won the fifth season of Love Island in 2019. When asked what type of person he is looking for, Phillips said: 'Someone who is really sure of themselves, ambitious, a bit of a go-getter and good craic." 'I like dark eyes and I don't mind a dominant woman,' he said. He continued: 'I don't like to answer to anyone else. I like to do my own thing. It's something I'm working on for a relationship. Hopefully I've improved.' Phillips joins another Irish contestant, Dublin actor and panto actress Megan Forte Clarke, who will also take part in the summer series. Having debuted for Munster in 2022, he received the news shortly after that the province would not be offering him a contract, having come up through Young Munster. 'You're in Munster and you think you are going to play rugby until you're 35 and then go on TV and all this stuff,' Phillips told the Irish Independent. 'I never thought about a job but my mom always made sure that I got my degree in health and exercise fitness in UL, I just finished that last year,' he said in 2024. Following this, he moved to Dublin to play with Terenure, playing a key role in his team making it to the Energia All-Ireland League final against Cork Con. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more At the time, while working in tech sales, he lived with Conán O'Donnell (former Connacht prop), who was in the same position as he had just come back from the Toronto Arrows. He said: 'We were on the dole together. It was very tough. I don't think we appreciated how tough it was. We just got on with it. 'Looking back on it now, it's humbling because if you had any bit of an ego, thinking you were above anyone because you played rugby, you definitely aren't when you're going into the post office every week trying to get money. 'That was quite tough. There were thoughts going through my head, 'will I go back to Limerick just to be with my mom? I'm comfortable there. Will I just pack it in and go play abroad?' The Limerick native said his biggest 'ick' in someone is being needy, or needing to do everything together. "I like someone to be independent and do their own thing and then we come together and do our thing,' he said. When asked about his claim to fame, he replied: 'I play professional rugby. I'm a winger.' When asked if he were the CEO of anything, what would it be, he replied: 'Mischief. I'm the class clown type vibe. Being in big teams and groups all the time, I'm always mixing things up, stirring the pot.' On how he likes to fIirt, he said: 'I ask girls if they want to go halves on a baby. It doesn't work, but it gets them laughing. It's an ice-breaker, not a serious question of course.' 'I'd be keeping my head above water… I'm doing nicely as a single person, but I need a relationship, I need to settle down and invest in some stocks,' he added. He listed singing as one of his hidden talents. 'My go to is Mario's 'Let Me Love You'. I've sang in front of a lot of people before,' he said. 'If it's your first rugby match you have to get on the bus and sing -they loved it.'


BBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Love Island: Kyle says 'I'm not a bad guy' after arrest reports
A Love Islander axed from the show after it emerged he had been arrested over a fight at a funeral has suggested he could return to the Ashman, 23, was due to enter the villa on Monday for the ITV2 show's 12th series but was dropped after The Sun newspaper reported details of the violence in Stafford earlier this a follow-up Instagram post Kyle, who was released by police without further action, suggested he could rejoin the cast as a "bombshell" or as part of Love Island's annual Casa Amor ITV spokesperson told Newsbeat they had "nothing to add" when asked if the station had ruled out a return. Staffordshire Police said it was called to reports someone had been "glassed" when violence broke out at a social club on 28th men were taken to hospital afterwards, the force said, adding that two 22-year-old men were arrested and later released without further his Instagram clip Kyle, a water worker, said he was "innocent" and "not a bad guy"."I'm a normal guy from a normal place," he said."An opportunity arose to find love, I grabbed it with both hands and it's been taken away from me."ITV previously said Kyle had decided not to enter the villa as planned due to "personal reasons".It also released a further statement, credited to Kyle, which stated: "I am not a violent person and any suggestion otherwise is a mischaracterisation." Professional rugby player Conor Phillips, 25, has been announced as Kyle's replacement. Conor, from Limerick in the Republic of Ireland, will appear as part of the starting line-up when the series returns on former Ireland U20 international has played for Munster since 2022 and described himself as a "class clown"."Being in big teams and groups all the time, I'm always mixing things up, stirring the pot," he said. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.