Monivea native Caolin Blade joined the Connacht Academy in 2013 and made his Pro debut at the end of the 2013/14 season. A first Pro contract followed in the summer of 2015 and he has been an ever-present wearing of the #9 jersey since then with Kieran Marmion. His stand-out performances in the 2020/21 season were enough to reward him with a deserved international cap.