Ireland second-row Tadhg Beirne to stay with Munster

Tadhg Beirne has signed a new two-year contract extension with the IRFU and Munster – keeping the Ireland forward at the province until 2027.

The 33-year-old made his Test debut against Australia in 2018 and has since become an key member of the Ireland set-up and won his 58th cap in Sunday’s Guinness Six Nations victory over Scotland.

Beirne played every minute of Ireland’s Autumn Nations Series campaign and has started both of their opening Championship fixtures, helping Simon Easterby’s side record back-to-back bonus-point wins.

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The versatile lock-flanker was one of four Ireland players named in the 2022 World Rugby Men’s XVs Dream Team of the Year.

Former England legend Lawrence Dallaglio branded him one of the best players in the world recently, saying: “I think he’s one of the best players in the world, if I’m honest. There’s so many players that get talked about in games, but he doesn’t get talked about as much as he should be. He’s like the Richard Hill of the Ireland team. A jackal threat, he does everything. To me, he’s like one of the old Kiwi second-rows that can play in the back-row. I think he’s a superb rugby player, nailed on for the Lions and has already been a Lion.”

Beirne joined Munster from the Scarlets at the start of the 2018/19 season and has made 85 appearances to date, contributing valuable experience and leadership in the province’s pack. Named club captain this season, the Kildare native has underlined his versatility by making an impact across the second and back row for both the province and at Test level.

“It is a source of great pride to represent Ireland and Munster and I am delighted to continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

“Playing in Ireland is a dream come true and I believe that Irish Rugby is in a strong place with competitive environments across all of the Provinces continuing to drive the highest levels of competition at National Team level. I am hugely excited about the future and will do my best to hopefully deliver for our amazing supporters over the coming seasons.”

IRFU Performance Director David Humphreys said: “Tadhg is a world-class talent whose consistent levels of performance for club and country have been of the highest standards for many years.

“Since breaking into the scene with Clongowes Wood College, Lansdowne and then into the Leinster Academy, he has taken the road less travelled and displayed enormous durability and consistency of performances in achieving league successes with the Scarlets and more recently Munster.

“For Ireland he has been a mainstay in the pack across a hugely successful era and it is a great boost for the IRFU and Munster Rugby, whom he captains, that he has extended his long association in Irish Rugby through until the Rugby World Cup 2027.”