Connacht Rugby and the IRFU are pleased to announce the appointment of Mossy Lawler to the role of Elite Player Development Officer with the Connacht Academy.
Following the departure of Cory Brown, who returned to his native New Zealand after eight years to take up the position of Otago Head Coach, former Munster player Mossy Lawler has obtained the highly sought-after role under Academy Manager Nigel Carolan. At Connacht, the 35-year-old will be primarily responsible for the development of young backs across the Academy system.
As a versatile back himself, Lawler played professionally with Munster in both the Mangers League and the Heineken Cup from 2000 to 2008. The Limerick man has held the position of UL Bohemians Director of Rugby for the past three years as well as coaching at his former school Ardscoil Ris.
Commenting from the Sportsground where he joined the team last month, Mossy said:
“I’m delighted to have taken up this role with Connacht Rugby. Professionally, it was an ideal move for me and a challenge I’m really excited by. I’ve been working in rugby my whole life and in recent years, I have been acutely aware of the great work being done at Connacht, particularly in the Academy where there are fantastic structures already in place for player development on and off the pitch.
“It’s been great getting to know the players and back room staff these past few weeks and I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into the job.”
In addition to the most recent appointment, the Connacht Academy has also been boosted by the promotion of Andrew Murphy to lead Strength & Conditioning.
Connacht Academy
Nigel Carolan Academy Manager
Jimmy Duffy Elite Player Development Officer
Mossy Lawler Elite Player Development Officer
Andrew Murphy Lead Strength & Conditioning
Jim Herring Performance Analyst