MUNSTER HOOKER SCOTT Buckley has joined famous Australian club side Randwick on a seven-week loan deal to secure game-time during the southern province’s off-season.
Buckley, 24, hasn’t featured for Munster since scoring a try against Crusaders in February’s friendly at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, finishing out his season with UCC in AIL Division 1B.
The Kinsale native will join Randwick for the conclusion of their Shute Shield campaign before returning to Munster in early September ahead of the new season.
‘The Galloping Greens’, who have produced 93 Wallabies including George Gregan, Rocky Elsom and David Campese, currently sit third in the table and are well placed to seal a play-off spot upon the conclusion of the regular season on 10 August.
Randwick recently boasted among their ranks former Clontarf and Ireland U20 lock Cormac Daly, who earned a Super Rugby contract with the Reds for the 2024 season after impressing during last year’s Shute Shield.
Buckley, however, is contracted to Munster until the end of the season and remains a part of the province’s plans as they seek to regain the URC title.
Buckley appeared in eight of Munster’s first nine URC games of the season as well as their Champions Cup opener at home to Bayonne but struggled for game-time upon the return to fitness of Niall Scannell and, later, Diarmuid Barron.
The previous season, Buckley made nine appearances off the bench during Munster’s URC title-winning campaign.
The hooker captained Christian Brothers College to the Munster Schools Senior Cup title in 2019 and made his Munster debut — a try-scoring, man-of-the-match performance — away to Wasps in the Champions Cup in December 2021.
