Connacht have come a considerable way in a short period of time.
It's not that long since Gerry Thornley could be heard on regularly Irish radio declaring that the 'Sword of Damocles' was hanging over the province. Rugby at a provincial level in the west was in peril.
Three years on and they are PRO12 champions and coached by a man many would like to see become the successor to Joe Schmidt. Some of Irish rugby's most dynamic and exciting attacking players - Matt Healy, Tiernan O'Halloran and Bundee Aki - play their rugby with Connacht.
As Connacht becomes more successful and garnered increasing supporter numbers as a result, they require a home with a larger capacity. The Sportsground currently holds just 7,800.
According to Ruaidhri O'Connor in today's Irish Independent, Connacht are exploring the possibility of a move away from the venue which also doubles as a greyhound stadium.
A strong contender to be the new home of Connacht Rugby is Eamonn Deacy Park. That would involve ground-sharing with Galway United.
Talks are scheduled to be held between Connacht and the Galway FA who own the ground. A move to the football stadium would also mean its redevelopment and increasing capacity to somewhere between 8,000 and 12,000.
The rise of Connacht Rugby continues.
Picture credit: Seb Daly / SPORTSFILE
