CONTRACT EXTENSION: The Irish Rugby Football Union has announced that Tadhg Beirne has signed a new two-year contract extension to remain with Irish Rugby and Munster until 2027.

Since making his Test debut against Australia in 2018, Beirne has established himself as a key figure in Ireland’s engine room and his commitment to Irish Rugby for a further two years is a major boost heading towards World Cup 2027.

Beirne, who won his 58th cap in Sunday’s Men’s Six Nations win over Scotland, played every minute of Ireland’s Nations Series campaign and has started the opening two Championship fixtures as Simon Easterby‘s side have secured back-to-back bonus point victories.

The 33-year-old was last November one of four Ireland players named in the World Rugby Men’s XVs Dream Team of the Year for his consistently outstanding performances.

An equally impactful option at lock and loose forward, Beirne has made 85 appearances for Munster since joining the Province at the start of the 2018/19 season and he was this season named club captain.

Beirne said: “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.”

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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, whom he captains, that he has extended his long association in Irish Rugby through until World Cup 2027.”