A connector assembly comprising: a plug body having loading and mating ends (103, 105) and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, the mating end being configured to be inserted into a cavity of a mating connector to establish at least one of communicative and power connections, the plug body having an outer surface that surrounds and faces away from the longitudinal axis; a ring slidably mounted over the plug body, the ring configured to slide along the outer surface of the plug body in an axial direction between withdrawn and locked positions; and a sleeve member slidably mounted over and slidably coupled to the ring, the sleeve member comprising fingers that extend toward the mating end, wherein the fingers are biased inward toward the outer surface of the plug body, the ring configured to engage the fingers when moved from the withdrawn position to the locked position, to cause the fingers to flex outward away from the outer surface and engage the mating connector, characterized in that the connector assembly further comprises a sealing band that surrounds the sleeve member about the longitudinal axis, the sealing band and the ring being operatively coupled to each other by radial supports therebetween, wherein the sleeve member includes a plurality of grip members separated from each other by cut-outs and each radial support slides between adjacent grip members within the corresponding cut-out when the ring is moved from the withdrawn position to the locked position, and wherein the grip members of the sleeve member are capable of slightly rotating about the longitudinal axis within the gaps between the radial supports when the fingers engage the mating connector, to allow slight rotation ofthe sleeve member about the longitudinal axis. a plug body having loading and mating ends (103, 105) and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, the mating end being configured to be inserted into a cavity of a mating connector to establish at least one of communicative and power connections, the plug body having an outer surface that surrounds and faces away from the longitudinal axis; a ring slidably mounted over the plug body, the ring configured to slide along the outer surface of the plug body in an axial direction between withdrawn and locked positions; and a sleeve member slidably mounted over and slidably coupled to the ring, the sleeve member comprising fingers that extend toward the mating end, wherein the fingers are biased inward toward the outer surface of the plug body, the ring configured to engage the fingers when moved from the withdrawn position to the locked position, to cause the fingers to flex outward away from the outer surface and engage the mating connector, characterized in that the connector assembly further comprises a sealing band that surrounds the sleeve member about the longitudinal axis, the sealing band and the ring being operatively coupled to each other by radial supports therebetween, wherein the sleeve member includes a plurality of grip members separated from each other by cut-outs and each radial support slides between adjacent grip members within the corresponding cut-out when the ring is moved from the withdrawn position to the locked position, and wherein the grip members of the sleeve member are capable of slightly rotating about the longitudinal axis within the gaps between the radial supports when the fingers engage the mating connector, to allow slight rotation ofthe sleeve member about the longitudinal axis.