Connacht's Mack Hansen and Leinster's Joe McCarthy pen new national contracts

NEW CONTRACTS: Joe McCarthy and Mack Hansen have penned to contracts with the IRFU and Leinster and Connacht.

The IRFU have announced that Mack Hansen has penned a two year national contract to keep him with Connacht and Ireland until at least 2026/27.

Hansen has won 27 caps for Ireland since his Test debut against Wales in February 2022 and has established himself a key player in Ireland's back three scoring 12 tries.

The Connacht winger was nominated for World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year in his debut season at Test level and his commitment to Irish Rugby is a boost to the team as they build towards the Rugby World Cup in 2027.

Hansen joined Connacht ahead of the 2021/22 season and has made 38 appearances for the province. Hansen quickly became a fan favourite for both Connacht and Ireland.

Hansen is delighted to commit to Connacht and Ireland for the next two years. 

"Since moving to Ireland I have loved my time and I am delighted to sign this new contract. Playing in Ireland with Connacht means a huge amount to me and I feel that I have improved because of the coaching and structures here. 

"There’s a huge amount to play for this season and I’ll be focusing my efforts on finishing strongly for Ireland and Connacht. I’d like to thank the IRFU for putting their faith in me and I’m hugely excited about the future."

Connacht Rugby and @IrishRugby are delighted to confirm Mack Hansen has signed a two-year contract extension ✍️⁰ #OneConnacht pic.twitter.com/LvmQ6aYgUI

— Connacht Rugby (@connachtrugby) March 3, 2025

IRFU Performance Director David Humphreys said"As a mainstay of the Ireland and Connacht sides in recent years, securing Mack’s signature over the coming season is a huge boost for Irish rugby. 

"He is a proven performer, someone who wears his heart on his sleeve and delivers on the big occasion. He is also a crowd favourite for club and country. We believe that there’s a lot more to come from Mack and I’m sure that he will continue his upward progress over the coming seasons."

Joe McCarthy has also penned a new long-term national contract with the IRFU and Leinster Rugby until the end of the 2027/28 season.

The 23-year-old made his Test debut against Australia in 2022 and has gone on to grow in stature in the second row. 

McCarthy has signed a new three-year deal and has won 17 caps for Ireland and played a key role in last year's Six Nations title success and started in all four of Ireland's Autumn Nations Series last November. He has made 42 appearances for Leinster since making his debut against Cardiff in January 2022.

Speaking on his new long-term deal, McCarthy is delighted to continue with Ireland and Leinster. 

“I am delighted to continue my association with Leinster and Ireland and I believe there’s a lot more to come as we build towards an exciting end to the season and beyond. 

"I have loved playing for my home province and representing my country is a huge honour which means the world to me. I would like to thank my team-mates and coaches for their help and support and I have no doubt that there’s more to come as we collectively build towards the future.”