The Queensland Reds have bolstered their forward stocks for the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season, signing former Ireland U20s International Cormac Daly and re-signing the versatile Connor Vest.
Daly joins the Reds on a one-year deal after a premiership winning stint with Randwick in the Shute Shield, while the 198-centimetre-tall lock also brings experience with Irish heavyweights Connacht and Leinster to Ballymore.
StoreLocal Hospital Cup product Vest has signed on for a further two seasons and will look to build on his 18 Queensland caps, eight of which came in this year’s Super Rugby campaign.
Queensland Reds head coach Les Kiss said: “We’re pleased to welcome Cormac to the club and re-sign a player like Connor.
“Cormac impressed us greatly with his Shute Shield season and proved again that he belongs in a professional setting. We’re looking forward to seeing him put his best foot forward in Super Rugby.
“Connor’s story is a great example of commitment. He’s worked hard to earn his opportunities and has taken all of them with both hands in Queensland.”
Daly said: “Knowing how big of a team the Queensland Reds are, the history behind the club and the fact that such a high percentage of players come through the Queensland pathway – to come from outside that makes this a huge honour.
“I obviously knew Les from his work back in Ireland and with London Irish, seeing what he has achieved made it a simple decision to come and work under someone with his experience.
“Meeting Les up in Brisbane and being able to hear what he is hoping to achieve made it a really exciting opportunity which I couldn't turn down.
“I’m looking forward to meeting the lads and getting stuck in.”
Vest said: “I am really excited to stay at the club that gave me my first opportunity in Super Rugby.
“The Reds is home for me and my family, so to be able to stay here means the world to me.
“I think the culture we are building is something special and is something I want to be a part of. I am so proud to continue representing my state and can’t wait to see what the next two seasons bring.”
A product of North Kildare Rugby Club west of Dublin, Daly was part of the Leinster program in their U18s, U19s and U20s sides.
The 25-year-old was selected in the Irish U20s for the 2017 and 2018 World Rugby U20s Championships, featuring in the global tournament against his now Reds teammates Liam Wright, Tate McDermott, Jordan Petaia, Angus Blyth, Matt Faessler, Josh Nasser and Lawson Creighton.
Daly trained with Irish outfit Connacht between 2019 and 2021, before winning the 2021/22 All-Ireland League with Clontarf, the premier club Rugby competition in Ireland.
A season with Leinster followed in 2022, before the lock moved to Australia to link with Randwick ahead of this year’s Shute Shield campaign.
Daly played every minute of Randwick’s regular season and helped the side to a drought-breaking Grand Final win over Northern Suburbs in August, claiming the club's Best and Fairest award after a strong debut season in Sydney.
A fellow Shute Shield title winner, Vest will enter his third season with the Reds in 2024. The 29-year-old, who is a qualified carpenter, spent time training with the Brumbies and Waratahs before cracking a Super Rugby debut with Queensland in 2022 after superb form with UQ in the Hospital Cup.
He went on to feature in 10 matches that season, while also spent his off-season playing in New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship with Auckland.
Vest cemented his place in the Reds forward pack in 2023, before a neck injury against the Highlanders brought an end to his campaign.
The lock has recovered well and is nearing full fitness ahead of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Secure your 2024 Reds membership via https://bit.ly/46FR3BF.
- Position: Lock
- Height: 198cm
- Weight: 120kg
- DOB: 01/05/1998
- Place of Birth: Kilcock, Ireland
- School: Coláiste Cois Life, Ireland
- Senior Club: TBC
- Junior Club: North Kildare Rugby Club, Ireland
- Position: Lock/backrow
- Height: 195cm
- Weight: 116kg
- DOB: 26/04/1994
- Place of Birth: Queanbeyan, New South Wales
- School: Grafton High School
- Senior Club: University of Queensland
- Junior Club: Grafton Rugby Club
- Super Rugby debut: 12/04/2022, v Fijian Drua, Suncorp Stadium
- Super Rugby caps: 18
