Development Team Status
With a smaller playing population than the other provinces, a larger proportion of its players are recruited from within the rest of Ireland, usually as promising former Under-20 or Youth Internationals. In recent years however a growing number of young Connacht-born players are progressing from the province's under-age rugby sides via development contracts into the senior squad. However funding inequalities from the IRFU compared to that of the other three Irish provinces means that Connacht players who develop are often prone to being recruited by the other provinces and clubs outside Ireland.
The IRFU has designated Connacht as a development team, which means that it receives only half the budget of the other Irish Provincial teams. In recent years the IRFU discussed whether they should be closed down as a means of cost saving, as has happened to the Scottish super district Caledonia Reds and the Welsh region Celtic Warriors, and more recently Border Reivers. This attitude towards rugby in Connacht have provided much aggravation to the teams supporters who consider Connacht Rugby's underfunding and lack of resources debilitating and wholly unfair.
However, despite the threat of closure in the past and the lack of equality of funding, the province has acquitted itself well in all competition and has excelled in the European Challenge Cup in which it has reached two semi-finals and a quarter-final in the last three seasons. This season has seen a change for the better in regards to squad strengthening, with prominent players for the first time returning to the club to fight for Ireland selection and a promotion to the Heineken Cup for the Connacht Rugby team.
Read more about this topic: Connacht Rugby
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