These are challenging times for the Irish provinces and, as ever, the most challenging for Connacht. The redrawn map of European rugby sees them on the outside of the European Rugby Champions Cup fixtures announced yesterday and back in the more familiar terrain of the Challenge Cup, while the entry route back into the premier European competition has been narrowed.
Yet a new season dawns with Connacht as hungry and ambitious as ever; and with some justification. Aside from a sense of renewed backing from the IRFU and high profile playing arrivals, their coaching staff has been replenished – and they even have a chief executive.
Former Ballina, Galwegians and Connacht fullback Willie Ruane, took up the reins five weeks ago, some 11 months after after Tom Sears vacated the post just two weeks into last season.
He is unlikely to be as high profile as Sears, and will hopefully last a good deal longer.
“This is where I’m from,” says Ruane. “This is who I played for. Connacht rugby, and rugby in Connacht, is a huge passion of mine, and then mix it with the very strong business aspect to the job, and it ticks all the boxes for me.”
Expectancy
Arriving at a time of heightened expectancy is “the way it should be” according to Ruane, who says the biggest challenge is to ensure everyone in the organisation is “pointing in the one direction”.
“In terms of commercial revenue we need as many people as we can through the gates. Sponsorship is as high as it’s ever been so a lot of good work has been done, even in the last year or two when things have been unsettled. But we need to continue growing the commercial revenue.”
Season ticket sales, hit by Connacht not being in the premier European competition, have been balanced by the marquee signings of former All Blacks centurion Mils Muliaina and Chiefs centre Bundee Aki, and with Gavin Duffy a new senior development executive, are thus on track to reach 3,500 again.
Of course, as in all provincial set-ups, the head coach (Pat Lam) is the most important person in the organisation. While Connacht are again competing against considerable odds in terms of quality, depth, financing and support base, Lam’s budgetary balancing, contacts and persuasive powers with regard to Muliaina, Aki and ex-Auckland Blues hooker Tom McCartney, have increased optimism.
Fixture list
Hence, at this point next year, Connacht want to be on the fixture list for the European Rugby Champions Cup, which will require a top six or seven finish in this season’s Pro12.
“We’re an ambitious group,” says Ruane. “That’s the one thing that struck me when I came in. All of the guys are ambitious and even this year we want to achieve things. The reality of it is we want to be in the Champions Cup next year as an initial objective.
“But in an overall sense, we just want this to be an organisation that has world-class systems and structures in place. Now that won’t happen overnight, but we’re competing against teams who do have world-class systems and structures. If, in a year’s time, we can say we’re well down the road to having all those structures in place then success will come and we can continue to build on it.”
To that end, Connacht have also been buoyed by the arrival of Andre Bell as backs coach and Paul Bunce as fitness coach.
“The players are loving his approach and the feedback has been very, very positive,” says Ruane. “Andre has a real understated approach and is adding real insight into some of the things the guys are working on. Again, the feedback has been very, very positive.”
A year or so ago, Connacht were widely believed to be €450,000 in debt but with a new head of finance in place since last season in Niamh Hoyne, Ruane cites a “sound funding structure” and “the IRFU’s increased investment” in also listing off visits from Joe Schmidt, IRFU performance director David Nucifora, head of fitness Dave Clark, head of medical services Rod McLaughlin and CEO Philip Browne.
“We’re happy that we have our governance and our procedures in place. Now we need Connacht to succeed and drive our revenues, and make sure we’re getting value for money in every euro that we do spend. So the challenge for us is to grow those revenues, but it can be done. I’m confident it can be done.”
