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.
Connacht and Ireland received a major boost on Monday morning when it was revealed that Mack Hansen would sign a new central contract with the IRFU.
Hansen's signing was quickly followed up by news that Leinster's Joe McCarthy had also signed a three-year contract with the union.
Here's every Irish rugby player currently under a central contract with the IRFU.
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Players Under IRFU Central Contracts
Joe McCarthy (Leinster)
22 February 2025; Joe McCarthy of Ireland in action against Jac Morgan of Wales during the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Wales and Ireland at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Leinster lock Joe McCarthy has become the latest player to receive a central contract from the IRFU.
The three-year deal announced by the IRFU will keep the 23-year-old playing in both Leinster and Ireland through the next World Cup until the end of the 2027/28 season.
Since making his Ireland debut three years ago McCarthy has earned 17 Irish caps, 42 Leinster caps and played key roles in both Ireland's 2024 Six Nations win and their ongoing bid for a historic third successive Six Nations.
Mack Hansen (Connacht)
22 February 2025; Mack Hansen of Ireland during the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Wales and Ireland at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
After much speculation, the IRFU have confirmed that Connacht wing Mack Hansen has signed his first central contract. The two-year deal is set to keep Hansen donning the green of Ireland and Connacht for at least another two years, until the end of the 2026/2027 season.
Since making his international debut for Ireland in 2022 Hansen has been a mainstay of the Irish wing, and his progression to a central contract is not only a major boost for Ireland, but for Connacht too, who will keep hold of one of their marquee players and also see a portion of their budget freed up.
Hansen's new contract brings Connacht's representation in the centrally contracted group up to two, alongside Bundee Aki.
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.
Beirne recently signed a two-year extension to his deal that will see him remain with Munster and Ireland until 2027. It's a massive boost for Ireland with another World Cup on the horizon that year.
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
As expected, Garry Ringrose's central contract was also extended by the IRFU, with the announcement coming hot on the heels of Beirne's renewal.
Ringrose has signed on to continue with Leinster and Ireland until 2028.
Bundee Aki (Connacht)
30 November 2024; Bundee Aki of Ireland during the Autumn Nations Series match between Ireland and Australia at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Despite much talk of Aki departing the West of Ireland to finish his career in the Top 14, the IRFU have announced a further one-year extension to the Connacht centre's contract. The deal will keep Aki in Ireland until at least the end of the 2025/26 season.
However, the one-year deal means much uncertainty remains about Aki's future in Ireland and whether he'll be available to Ireland for the 2027 World Cup.
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 Farrell 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.
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.
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.
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 bring Leinster's representation to 11 for the 2025/26 season.
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