From 2006 until 2014, when he was forced to retire due to injury, Wilkinson played for Irish provincial side Connacht, and also represented Ireland at international 'A' level after qualifying on residency.
With the number of teams reduced to 10 for the 2007–08 Celtic League, Wilkinson featured in all 18 of Connacht's matches, with only one of these appearances coming as a replacement.
In the 2009–10 season, he played in 16 Celtic League games, and featured regularly for the province as they made the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup.
[5] With the number of teams having been expanded to 12, he played in 20 games in the 2010–11 Celtic League under new coach Eric Elwood.
[3] That season also saw Connacht qualify for their first ever Heineken Cup, and Wilkinson played his first ever match at the highest level of European rugby away against Harlequins at the Stoop.
[7] In Connacht's final match of the pool stages away to Saracens, Wilkinson was forced to leave the field and be replaced due to injury.
On 26 March 2014, it was announced that Wilkinson was retiring from rugby due to a neck ligament injury sustained against Saracens, having played for Connacht 183 times.
[12] The team did even better in Wilkinson's second season, winning a League and Cup double in Connacht, as well claiming the 2016–17 Division 1B title, earning the Buccaneers promotion to the top flight of club rugby in Ireland for the first time in a decade.
He serves as scrum coach to the Hong Kong national side and to the South China Tigers in the Global Rapid Rugby competition.