| Neil Cronin | |
| Birth Date: | 1992 12, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Limerick, Ireland |
| Weight: | 83kg (183lb) |
| Position: | Scrum-half |
| Amatyears1: | 2011– |
| Amatteam1: | Garryowen |
| Years1: | 2014– |
| Clubs1: | Munster |
| Apps1: | 40 |
| Points1: | 15 |
| Clubupdate: | 23 February 2024 |
| Repyears1: | 2014–2018 |
| Repteam1: | Ireland Club XV |
| Repcaps1: | 8 |
| Reppoints1: | 8 |
| Repupdate: | 18 March 2018 |
| Relatives: | Seán Cronin (brother)[1] |
| School: | Castletroy College |
| University: | University of Limerick |
Neil Cronin (born 6 December 1992) is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for United Rugby Championship club Munster.
During the 2017–18 season, Cronin captained Garryowen to a 39th Munster Senior Challenge Cup and, for his efforts, was named the AIL Munster Player of the Year and Division 1A Player of the Year.[2] [3]
Cronin made his Munster debut on 26 December 2014, featuring off the bench in the provinces 28–13 win against Leinster in Thomond Park.[4] [5] He went on to make three more appearances as a substitute for Munster during the 2014–15 season. Following his performances for Garryowen, Cronin was awarded a one-year contract with Munster for the 2018–19 season.[6]
Cronin made his 'second' debut for Munster on 1 September 2018, starting at scrum-half in their opening 2018–19 Pro14 fixture against South African side Cheetahs in Thomond Park.[7] Cronin made his Champions Cup debut on 13 October 2018, featuring off the bench in Munster's opening 2018–19 pool 2 fixture against English side Exeter Chiefs, which ended in a 10–10 draw in Sandy Park.[8]
Cronin signed a two-year contract extension with Munster in October 2018.[9] Cronin scored his first try for Munster in their 43–0 win against South African side Southern Kings on 15 February 2019.[10] He suffered an ACL injury during training with Munster in October 2020, which is expected to rule Cronin out for at least six months.[11] He signed a two-year contract extension with Munster in March 2021, a deal that will see him remain with the province until at least June 2023.[12] Cronin featured off the bench in Munster's historic 28–14 win against a South Africa XV in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on 10 November 2022,[13] and extended his contract with Munster until the end of January 2024.[14]
Cronin has made eight appearances for the Ireland Club XV, most recently in February and March 2018 when he captained the side in two fixtures against Scotland Club XV.[15] [16]
After Cronin's first brief stint with Munster came to an end, he qualified as a secondary school teacher, before going on to earn a teaching degree and a position at St Munchin's College.[1]