Rugby New York obtained former Seattle Seawolves, Ulster Academy, and Connacht utility back Kieran Joyce for the remainder of the 2023 Major League Rugby season. The 26-year-old flyhalf/fullback/center is 6’0″ and 220 lbs.
Kieran played 205 minutes in 7 matches, starting 2, for the Seattle Seawolves in 2022. In 2021 he played 763 minutes in 13 matches, starting 11, and scored 32 points (1 try, 9 conversions, and 3 penalty goals).
He joined the Seawolves after playing for Birmingham Moseley in England.
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., 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 and 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 and 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 produces headwear and 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.
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