Gaffney returned to his home city for his third level education, studying commerce and French at NUI Galway.
Gaffney made his debut for the senior team in November 2016, while still part of the academy, when he came on as a replacement in a Pro12 game against Irish rivals Ulster.
[4] After arriving in New Zealand, Gaffney began playing for amateur side Zingari-Richmond in the Dunedin Premier.
He was invited to Dunedin by Otago head coach Cory Brown, a former elite player development officer for Connacht.
[5] The move was made with a view to Gaffney potentially playing for the provincial team and during his time in the country he was part of Otago's wider training squad.
He suffered a ruptured disk and dislocated his neck and was rushed to hospital where he was kept immobile for three days before surgery could be performed.
Gaffney was ultimately forced to retire from rugby as a result of the injury, having played 18 games for Zebre.
[11] In the 2015 Under-20 Six Nations, Gaffney made his tournament debut and played in two of the side's five games, as Ireland finished fifth.