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JOE McCARTHY and Mack Hansen have both signed central contracts with the IRFU to remain playing in Ireland.
Leinster lock McCarthy, 23, has signed a three-year deal while Connacht wing Hansen, 26, has agreed a two-year deal.
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Joe McCarthy, right, had signed a three-year extension with the IRFUCredit: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
It is the pair’s first time being put on IRFU central contracts rather than provincial contracts, with both earning the deals after becoming key men for Ireland.
McCarthy made rapid progress in 2022 making his Leinster debut that January and Ireland debut the following November against Australia.
And he has remained a fixture in the side ever since winning 17 caps to date.
McCarthy said: “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.
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“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.”
Australian-born Hansen moved to Galway in 2021 from Brumbies and, with his mother hailing from Castlemartyr in Cork, was very quickly on Andy Farrell’s radar.
He made his Ireland debut in the Six Nations against Wales in 2022 and has won 27 caps to date, scoring 12 tries.
Hansen said: “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.
Pixie Lott performs at the Six Nations rugby
“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.”
The duo’s deals come just months after the IRFU also secured Andrew Porter, Tadhg Furlong until 2027.
James Ryan and Robbie Henshaw have also signed deals taking them up until 2028 while Bundee Aki recently signed a new IRFU deal taking him through to 2026.
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