Overview
- Munster announced on Friday, June 19, 2026 that four senior players—Tony Butler, Fionn Gibbons, Paddy Patterson and Andrew Smith—and three academy players—George Hadden, Darragh McSweeney and Dylan Hicks—will depart the province this summer.
- Paddy Patterson made 51 appearances for Munster after joining from Leinster in January 2021 and was a key contributor to Munster’s 2022/23 URC title run, while Tony Butler scored 76 points in 28 appearances across academy and senior levels.
- Andrew Smith, who joined from Connacht in March 2025, scored four tries in 11 Munster appearances and previously represented Ireland in the Paris 2024 Olympic 7s competition.
- RugbyPass and other outlets note the four senior leavers made fewer than 100 senior appearances for Munster combined, underscoring limited top‑level exposure across the group.
- Munster thanked the departing players in its statement and said it will publish the squad that begins pre-season in the coming weeks, a step that will clarify how the province plans to plug positional gaps for United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup campaigns.