Connacht Rugby's Dexcom Stadium and High Performance Centre (HPC ) is a hive of activity. Work continues behind the new Clan Stand as head coach Stuart Lancaster and his squad train out on the pristine Dexcom Stadium surface. Inside the new Connacht Rugby HPC, there is a tangible enthusiasm that reverberates through the building and meets you around every corner. Connacht Rugby is gearing up for its newest and most exciting chapter yet.
While Mack Hansen lights up the Aviva Stadium with international hat-tricks, work continues behind the scenes at Dexcom Stadium. There is a crucial ten-game block starting on November 22 with the visit of Sharks which gives Lancaster's side a real opportunity to build momentum.
For Sean Jansen, Byron Ralston, and Hugh Gavin, the facilities at the Connacht Rugby High Performance Centre can be the foundation for success for the team.
"We had a tough year last year in portacabins," explains Jansen.
"The facilities we have are top class, probably as good as any in the country. The boys are spending a lot more time together, which builds connections as well."
Jansen revealed that players are now sticking around after trainings to do extra recovery and analysis work. The new HPC opened in April of this year and is the home of day-to-day operations for the club. The Connacht Men's Senior Team have their own dressing room with saunas and ice baths. There are physio rooms, an analyst room, team meeting room, canteen, and the old gym. Everything is all under one roof.
Jansen, Ralston, and Gavin were speaking at a media event to announce Connacht Rugby's partnership with HelloFresh. It is a multi-year partnership that will support grassroots rugby and families across the west of Ireland.
Gavin knows better than most the importance of grassroots rugby in Connacht. Having come through the academy system, he admitted that the new facilities are something he "never would have imagined" at Connacht Rugby.
"This is just another level, we have everything we would ever need or want here. And the lads are making the most of the facilities, you can get lots of extra skill work done," he said.
The work being done behind the scenes at the HPC has been of massive benefit to new head coach Stuart Lancaster and his coaching staff getting their ideas across to the squad.
"It's huge for management as well," explains Gavin. "Having that big space where they can bounce ideas off, whatever different kind of sports aspect or nutrition aspects, everyone's a room or two away."
"With the indoor pitch you can get through a lot of detail when you're not freezing outside. So, that's been awesome," said Jansen.
It's been confirmed that Ralston will miss the remainder of the season after he suffered a knee injury against Munster last month. He will undergo surgery in early December before entering into the rehabilitation process which is expected to take around nine months.
The Aussie admitted that he is "devastated" but believes that the new facilities at Dexcom Stadium will ease his recovery.
"Now to have the gym and physio room so close by, it just makes the process really easy. It makes it enjoyable and exciting to come in every day and be around the lads," he said.
"I've been in Brisbane with the Reds, and with the Western Force and the facilities here are second to none," said Ralston.
"To have everything under the same roof and to have food provided for you, all you have to worry about is prepare and perform.
"The recovery facilities, the icebox, the sauna, all second to none. It really sets you up and makes coming into work more enjoyable. Lads are hanging around the facilities until five o'clock at night, doing work on the laptops. Boys are coming in early having breakfast.
"That's where the team gets connectivity and team identity is really born, where you can really start to hang around each other and start to grow," added Ralston.
Excitement levels building ahead of Clan Stand opening
With the official opening of the new Clan Stand scheduled for January, anticipation is building in the squad to line out in front of bumper crowds again.
"I know the fans have gone through that tough period where they got rid of the Clan Stand, and there was a lot of loyal fans that were in there every week, and then they got dispersed," said Jansen.
"Obviously we still feel the following, but I think it'll be real good for the fans that come in and it will be a proper experience".
Local lad Gavin cited the game against Munster at McHale Park last March as evidence of the appetite for rugby around Connacht and hoped that the new stadium would encourage fans from all over Connacht to come down and support the team.
"It was class, 26,000 come out that day," he recalls.
"There's definitely enough supporters in Connacht who really care about the team, care about the province, and like to see how we're doing."
As the final touches are put on the new Clan Stand, and the High Performance Centre settles into full stride, there’s a sense that Connacht Rugby is standing at the precipice of a transformative moment. The blend of world-class facilities, enhanced connection amongst the squad, and an eagerly awaited return of packed crowds marks the beginning of a new era in the west.
With momentum building on and off the pitch, Connacht Rugby is laying the foundations for a future that its players, coaches, and supporters can truly believe in.
