The Australian-born winger, who qualifies to play for Ireland through his mother, has enjoyed a rapid rise since arriving in Galway in 2021, forcing his way into Andy Farrell’s plans and becoming a regular in the national team during a period of unprecedented success.
Hansen, who turns 27 this month, made his debut in November 2022 and was a key player in the 2023 Grand Slam and that year’s World Cup campaign, before missing the Six Nations defence through injury.
Since returning, he’s been a regular starter and will be on the right wing for the pivotal game against France next weekend. He missed the win over Scotland with a hamstring injury, but returned to win his 27th cap against Wales.
Hansen came into this year’s tournament under a cloud after earning a hefty ban for his outburst about refereeing consistency in the wake of Connacht’s pre-Christmas defeat to Leinster at the Aviva Stadium.
“Since moving to Ireland I have loved my time and I am delighted to sign this new contract,” Hansen, who had received interest from abroad, said.
“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.”
IRFU performance director David Humphreys described the deal, which comes on the back of Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, Tadhg Beirne, Tadhg Furlong and James Ryan penning new contracts, as a “boost”.
“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 said.
“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.”
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Author : rugby-247
Publish date : 2025-03-03 10:31:52
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