Connacht captain John Muldoon has announced that he will retire at the end of the season after more than 300 appearances with his native province. The 35-year-old Portumna man made his Connacht debut in 2004 and the highlight of his 17 years at the Sportsground was leading Connacht to the Pro12 title in 2016.
Muldoon also won three caps for Ireland but unfortunately his last involvement with the Irish team saw him suffer a broken arm against New Zealand in 2010.
Muldoon made the announcement via social media today:
17 years. 320 games. Broken bones. Big wins. Bad losses. Dozens of teammates. Fewer coaches. Europe. Russia. Celtic league. Pro12. Pro14. Flights. Buses. Friends. Supporters. I've been so proud to be part of it all, but every journey sadly must come to an end... pic.twitter.com/lSHYPDqcY0
— John Muldoon (@JohnMuldoon8) January 24, 2018
CEO of Connacht Rugby, Willie Ruane said: " On behalf of Connacht Rugby and indeed the people of Connacht I would like to take this opportunity to thank John Muldoon for the incredible contribution he has made both on and off the pitch and in particular the manner in which he has represented his home province over a long and illustrious career.
During that time John has shown unwavering commitment and loyalty to Connacht Rugby and has been a leader in everything that we have been trying to achieve during that time. John Muldoon has represented the people of Connacht with massive pride and he epitomises everything that is great about the west of Ireland.
John has always remained a very humble, grounded and honest individual, someone we are proud to call one of our own and someone I am extremely proud to have worked with during my own time here. I wish him and his family all the very best in his retirement from the game and in the years beyond. "
