The Seattle Seawolves re-signed former Ulster Academy and Connacht center Kieran Joyce for the 2022 Major League Rugby season. The 25-year-old is 6’0″ and 220 lbs.
Kieran played 763 minutes in 13 matches, starting 11, and scored 32 points (1 try, 9 conversion, and 3 penalty goals) during the 2021 season.
Kieran is originally from Solihull in Warwickshire, England, and Is of Irish heritage as his parents are from Connemara and Donegal. He began playing rugby for Solihull School and Old Silihllians RFC. He progressed through the Irish Exiles system to earn Ireland U18 representation, against Ulster in 2013 and the Exiles tour of Italy, England, and France in 2014.
After the Easter tour, he moved over to Belfast when he was 18., and joined the Ulster Academy for the 2016/2017 season, and was a regular feature for Ulster A. He also played for Malone/Ulster in the First Trust Senior Cup for Malone against Ballynahinch. In 2015 he was a member of the Ireland U19s rugby sevens squad, as well as played for the Ulster U20s.
He then signed a three-year contract with Connacht Rugby from 2017-2019. Joyce captained Connacht A and had several senior caps, playing 8 times, starting 7 times, over the first two years in the British and Irish Cup. While still in the academy, he played for Connacht’s senior side in the team’s European Challenge Cup win over the French side Perpignan in December 2018, as well as a match against Brive.
Kieran attended Queen’s University Belfast from 2015-2017 in a Bachelor of Applied Science program in Business Management and Marketing. He and his older brother Conor, who played for Ulster and the English Championship club, Jersey, founded Noggin Sport in 2017. The business, which produces headwear, provides funding for mental health projects across the U.K. and Ireland.
Kieran has already played in the Cara Cup against the New England Free Jacks during their 2019 exhibition season.
Seattle Seawolves Comments
It’s great that Joycey will remain a Seawolf for the 2022 MLR season. He’s a fantastic young man who is highly thought of by players, coaches, and supporters alike.
His ability to play center, fly-half, and fullback (as we saw in the last two games of the ‘21 season) are an added bonus and provide great competition in our backline unit. I look forward to seeing his game really develop in the season ahead.” – Allen Clarke, head coach, and director of rugby
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