As well as playing in the Pro12, Connacht competed in the Champions Cup in Europe, finishing third in their pool, level on points with Toulouse, who advanced to the knockout stage as one of the best runners-up.

The second-tier side the Connacht Eagles competed in the 2016–17 British and Irish Cup, finishing bottom of their pool.

[2] The close season also saw the departure of the side's all-time record try-scorer Fionn Carr who scored 42 tries over two spells with the province.

[3] During the off-season, the team's homeground, the Galway Sportsground underwent renovations with the addition of a seated stand increasing its capacity to 8,100.

After 40 minutes of play, the match was "abandoned due to adverse weather conditions causing considerable risk to both the players and spectators".