These Are The Irish Rugby Players Who’ve Been Given A Central Contract

December 16, 2024

It’s fair to say there aren’t many better-run Men’s Rugby Unions than the IRFU. From the schools level all the way up there’s a clear pathway to make it to the Ireland senior team and one of the main aspects which makes the IRFU such an efficient operator is the central contract system.

The provinces themselves aren’t bankrolled by millionaires like clubs are in France and England and thus wouldn’t be able to compete with them in terms of wages. However, the IRFU come in and offer some of the better players central contracts which keeps them in Ireland where they can develop their game even further.

Off the back of Monday morning’s contract bonanza from the IRFU that saw both Tadhg Furlong and Andrew Porter re-signed to both Leinster and Ireland until 2027 – a deal which will see both front rows available to Ireland and Andy Farrell until the end of the next World Cup cycle – we’ve compiled a list of all twelve players centrally contracted by the IRFU.

Players Under IRFU Central Contracts

Andrew Porter (Leinster)

23 November 2024; Andrew Porter of Ireland during the Autumn Nations Series match between Ireland and Fiji at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

The loosehead prop was one of two Leinster players to re-sign central contracts on Monday morning, with Porter putting pen to paper on a two year contract extension. The new deal will see Porter stay in Leinster until the end of the 2026/27 Leinster season and available to Andy Farrelll until the end of the next World Cup cycle.

Tadhg Furlong (Leinster)

19 March 2022; Tadhg Furlong of Ireland during the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Ireland and Scotland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

Furlong was the other Leinster prop who re-signed with the IRFU on Monday morning. Like Porter, the Wexford man’s new deal ridded Irish fans of any worries he’d depart for the Top 14 and keeps him in Ireland and Leinster until the end of the 2026/27 season.

Tadhg Beirne (Munster)

19 March 2022; Tadhg Beirne of Ireland during the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Ireland and Scotland at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

The in-form lock is Munster’s only centrally contracted player after both Conor Murray and Peter O’Mahony reverted back to provincial contracts.

While his contract is set to expire at the end of this season in July, Beirne was pivotal to Ireland’s Autumn Nations Series and was announced as Munster captain at the start of this season meaning it would be very surprising if he didn’t join Porter and Furlong in re-signing.

James Ryan (Leinster)

12 February 2022; James Ryan of Ireland during the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between France and Ireland at Stade de France in Paris, France. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Leinster lock James Ryan will also see his central contract expire at the end of the 2024/25 season. The 28-year-old who signed his first central contract in 2020 would be largely expected to sign back on until at least the end of the World Cup cycle.

Bundee Aki (Connacht)

19 March 2022; Bundee Aki of Ireland during the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Ireland and Scotland at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

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Aki’s contract situation appears to be the most uncertain of all the centrally contracted players. The Connacht centre penned a new deal in 2023 to keep him out West until the end of this season. However, as rumours that Aki was weighing up his options for either a provincial move or move to the Top 14 began to circulate, it was also reported that clauses in his contract could extend his contract until 2026. There has been no official confirmation from the IRFU that this is the case.

Robbie Henshaw (Leinster)

27 February 2022; Robbie Henshaw of Ireland during the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Ireland and Italy at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

Robbie Henshaw’s contract is up at the end of this season, it would be very surprising if the news in the coming weeks was anything but a contract renewal for Henshaw.

Garry Ringrose (Leinster)

19 March 2022; Garry Ringrose of Ireland during the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Ireland and Scotland at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Henshaw’s Leinster centre partner Gary Ringrose will also see his contract come up for renewal at the end of this season. Like Henshaw, anything but a renewal would be very surprising.

Josh van der Flier (Leinster)

23 November 2024; Josh van der Flier of Ireland during the Autumn Nations Series match between Ireland and Fiji at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile

The Leinster flanker signed up to the central system in 2023 in a deal that doesn’t expire until the end of next season.

Hugo Keenan (Leinster)

30 November 2024; Hugo Keenan of Ireland during the Autumn Nations Series match between Ireland and Australia at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

The Leinster fullback is one of the best in the business and deservedly signed a three-year central contract with the IRFU in 2023. Keenan who also spent time on the IRFU books as a Sevens player will be available to Ireland until at least the end of the 2025/26 season.

Dan Sheehan (Leinster)

9 March 2024; Dan Sheehan of Ireland during the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between England and Ireland at Twickenham Stadium in London, England. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

The Ireland hooker has been none of the most important facets of the country’s recent success and unsurprisingly signed onto the central system earlier this year in a deal that sees him contracted to the association until the end of the 2025/26 season.

Caelan Doris (Leinster)

30 November 2024; Caelan Doris of Ireland during the Autumn Nations Series match between Ireland and Australia at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

It will come as little surprise that the recently appointed Leinster and Ireland captain Caelan Doris is the beneficiary of an IRFU contract. The back row’s deal will keep him playing in Dublin until the end of the next World Cup cycle in 2027.

Iain Henderson (Ulster)

12 March 2022; Iain Henderson of Ireland during the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between England and Ireland at Twickenham Stadium in London, England. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Like Beirne, Henderson is the sole representative of his province on the central contracts list. However, with a diminishing role on the national team, Henderson will be coming off the central system at the end of this season having agreed a new deal with Ulster earlier this year.

Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster) (Expected)

30 November 2024; Jamison Gibson-Park of Ireland during the Autumn Nations Series match between Ireland and Australia at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

While he’s yet to be officially brought into the system, it’s widely expected that the Leinster scrumhalf will be the tenth Leinster man to be signed up this year.

It’s also expected that Munster and Connacht will add two more names to the list of centrally contracted players at the end of this season. Both Munster outhalf Jack Crowley and injury-plaqued Connacht wing Mack Hansen are out of contract at the end of this season and expected to sign new deals.