IT WAS MARCH 2025 when Leinster confirmed that James Lowe had signed what proved to be his final deal with the province.
Although Leinster never publicly confirm the duration of extensions, Lowe signed a two-year contract.
However, the deal was structured as a ’1+1,’ which means that the first year of the contract was absolutely guaranteed on the financial terms the parties had agreed.
The ‘+1′ meant that both parties had the option of annulling the second year of the agreement. The deadline for doing so was towards the end of March 2026.
It was a Leinster provincial contract, rather than an IRFU national contract (also known as a ‘central contract’).
That said, it’s believed that Lowe’s annual remuneration was reflective of his importance to Ireland. The salary he agreed is thought to have been close to what a leading Ireland player on an IRFU national contract would be earning.
This was partly achieved by the IRFU providing a PONI [player of national interest] top-up to Lowe’s deal with Leinster.
PONI payments involve international players having their provincial contracts topped up by the IRFU, meaning the provinces don’t have to break their budget to avoid that player’s head being turned by a club abroad.
PONI payments from the IRFU are understood to range from €50,000 to €100,000 per season, which greatly enhances the overall offer to such players.
Lowe, who turns 34 next month, has never been on an IRFU national contract. The New Zealand native was a relative latecomer to Test rugby, making his Ireland debut at the age of 28 after qualifying under the old three-year residency rule
It’s believed that one of the reasons that Lowe was never moved onto a national contract was that there were already so many Leinster players on national deals.
Leinster currently have Caelan Doris, Hugo Keenan, Dan Sheehan, Josh van der Flier, Jamison Gibson-Park, Andrew Porter, Tadhg Furlong, James Ryan, Robbie Henshaw, Garry Ringrose, and Joe McCarthy on national IRFU contracts.
Munster’s Tadhg Beirne and Connacht’s Bundee Aki and Mack Hansen are the only other three players in the country on national deals with the union.
IRFU performance director David Humphreys and Ireland head coach Andy Farrell. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
So it was that Lowe confirmed a two-year contract with Leinster, topped up by the IRFU, in 2025. It was structured on a ’1+1′ basis.
Deals involving an optional additional year are common in rugby.
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So either Lowe could decide that he wanted to take his services elsewhere in the summer of 2026, or Leinster and the IRFU could decide not to proceed with the second year of the contract.
In the end, the latter occurred.
It was late Marchwhen Lowe was notified by Leinster that the second year of his contract would not be triggered. He was told that the +1 element of the deal was being terminated. It’s said that he was stunned at this decision.
Lowe suddenly had to face up to the prospect of leaving Irish rugby, when he is believed to have been under the impression that things were looking positive for the +1 on his deal to be enacted.
That included Ireland head coach Andy Farrell saying on 12 March that he expected Lowe to be recontracted for the 2026/27 season, meaning he would continue to be available into the 2027 World Cup.
Following swiftly on the heels of the shock for Lowe – just days later, it is said – he was called into another meeting with Leinster, where he was presented with a completely new contract offer.
It was a one-year deal covering the 2026/27 provincial season and the 2027 World Cup, but on significantly reduced terms, believed to be around 50% of the salary he just earned for the 2025/26 campaign.
It’s understood that one of the reasons for the big drop-off in salary offer was the IRFU’s unwillingness to provide anything close to the same level of PONI top-up to the Leinster provincial contract, if anything at all.
That essentially meant that the entirety of the offer came from Leinster’s provincial budget. If Lowe was to remain on the same salary, Leinster would have had to stump up even more from their own budget.
However, it’s understood that the new one-year contract offer to Lowe included incentives related to him continuing to play for Leinster in Champions Cup games and in international matches for Ireland.
It’s thought that if Lowe had managed to stay fully fit over the next year or so, the combined total of these pay-for-play incentives might even have allowed him to recoup most of the 50% or so that was being cut from his salary.
James Lowe is very popular with fans. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
But with the base salary cut by 50%, it’s believed it was an offer that Lowe wasn’t happy with and didn’t feel reflected his current market value, having played two Tests for the Lions last summer and having been picked to start the two most recent Ireland games he was available for in February.
The issue with pay-for-play incentives is that sheer bad luck on the injury front can see players missing big chunks of the season. One bad impact injury can have a major financial knock-on effect with such measures in place.
From Leinster and IRFU’s point of view, the hope seemed to be that Lowe would back himself to be available and remain a first-choice player.
It’s not thought that this is the first time an Ireland international in their 30s has been offered a deal with such a balance of incentive-based conditions. With the IRFU and its provinces all tightening their belts financially on the rugby front, it may well be that this kind of thing becomes more common.
All of this said, Lowe is also believed to have been deeply unhappy with the process of how this new one-year offer was put in front of him.
From the IRFU’s point of view, they evidently believed that Lowe had begun to decline as a player. His injury during the Six Nations couldn’t have been more unfortunately timed.
Other options have emerged out wide for Farrell recently too, with Tommy O’Brien and Robert Baloucoune having a breakthrough Six Nations campaigns. Mack Hansen will return from injury next season.
Despite having his new four-year contract confirmed recently, Farrell has not done any media duties, so he hasn’t been publicly asked for his view of Lowe’s exit from Irish rugby.
Indeed, Farrell is not scheduled to speak to the media until two days before Ireland’s Test against Australia in Sydney on 4 July, when he will undoubtedly be asked about Lowe.
As for Leinster, they have had to pay the lion’s share of Lowe’s contracts, despite having limited access to him due to IRFU player management restrictions and injuries. Lowe has averaged 10 games per season for Leinster over the last five years.
Leinster are heading into the new era of having to contribute 40% of their players’ national contracts from August, with the IRFU redirecting that money into the player development pathways in Munster, Ulster and Connacht.
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen. Dan Clohessy / INPHO
Dan Clohessy / INPHO / INPHO
Like everyone else, Leinster are also dealing with challenges in continuing to generate revenues from ticket sales, merchandising and other commercial endeavours.
As such, Leinster were unlikely to foot the entire bill for Lowe on the terms he agreed at the start of his 1+1 contract.
The new one-year contract was put in front of Lowe in March, and it’s understood there was no deadline for him to give his answer.
Frustrated by the offer, Lowe and his representatives looked for options elsewhere.
He attracted attention from England and France, most notably Toulon, before an offer arrived from Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath.
Springboks wing Cheslin Kolbe is leaving the Japan Rugby League One club after three years there, meaning Suntory were on the lookout for a marquee signing to replace him.
Lowe fit the bill. They made him a two-year offer on a base salary that was considerably higher than the one-year offer from Leinster.
Lowe, who has a young family who have been very happy in Ireland, took his time to make a final decision.
In the end, he turned down Leinster’s offer and accepted Suntory’s.
His time in Irish rugby will conclude with Leinster’s URC final against the Bulls next Friday. It’s not expected that he will be involved in Ireland’s Nations Championship trip to Australia and New Zealand.
- This article was updated at 8.35am to include Connacht’s Mack Hansen on the list of players on IRFU national contracts.
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What actually happened that led to James Lowe's exit from Irish rugby?
IT WAS MARCH 2025 when Leinster confirmed that James Lowe had signed what proved to be his final deal with the province.
Although Leinster never publicly confirm the duration of extensions, Lowe signed a two-year contract.
However, the deal was structured as a ’1+1,’ which means that the first year of the contract was absolutely guaranteed on the financial terms the parties had agreed.
The ‘+1′ meant that both parties had the option of annulling the second year of the agreement. The deadline for doing so was towards the end of March 2026.
It was a Leinster provincial contract, rather than an IRFU national contract (also known as a ‘central contract’).
That said, it’s believed that Lowe’s annual remuneration was reflective of his importance to Ireland. The salary he agreed is thought to have been close to what a leading Ireland player on an IRFU national contract would be earning.
This was partly achieved by the IRFU providing a PONI [player of national interest] top-up to Lowe’s deal with Leinster.
PONI payments involve international players having their provincial contracts topped up by the IRFU, meaning the provinces don’t have to break their budget to avoid that player’s head being turned by a club abroad.
PONI payments from the IRFU are understood to range from €50,000 to €100,000 per season, which greatly enhances the overall offer to such players.
Lowe, who turns 34 next month, has never been on an IRFU national contract. The New Zealand native was a relative latecomer to Test rugby, making his Ireland debut at the age of 28 after qualifying under the old three-year residency rule
It’s believed that one of the reasons that Lowe was never moved onto a national contract was that there were already so many Leinster players on national deals.
Leinster currently have Caelan Doris, Hugo Keenan, Dan Sheehan, Josh van der Flier, Jamison Gibson-Park, Andrew Porter, Tadhg Furlong, James Ryan, Robbie Henshaw, Garry Ringrose, and Joe McCarthy on national IRFU contracts.
Munster’s Tadhg Beirne and Connacht’s Bundee Aki and Mack Hansen are the only other three players in the country on national deals with the union.
So it was that Lowe confirmed a two-year contract with Leinster, topped up by the IRFU, in 2025. It was structured on a ’1+1′ basis.
Deals involving an optional additional year are common in rugby.
So either Lowe could decide that he wanted to take his services elsewhere in the summer of 2026, or Leinster and the IRFU could decide not to proceed with the second year of the contract.
In the end, the latter occurred.
It was late March when Lowe was notified by Leinster that the second year of his contract would not be triggered. He was told that the +1 element of the deal was being terminated. It’s said that he was stunned at this decision.
Lowe suddenly had to face up to the prospect of leaving Irish rugby, when he is believed to have been under the impression that things were looking positive for the +1 on his deal to be enacted.
That included Ireland head coach Andy Farrell saying on 12 March that he expected Lowe to be recontracted for the 2026/27 season, meaning he would continue to be available into the 2027 World Cup.
Following swiftly on the heels of the shock for Lowe – just days later, it is said – he was called into another meeting with Leinster, where he was presented with a completely new contract offer.
It was a one-year deal covering the 2026/27 provincial season and the 2027 World Cup, but on significantly reduced terms, believed to be around 50% of the salary he just earned for the 2025/26 campaign.
It’s understood that one of the reasons for the big drop-off in salary offer was the IRFU’s unwillingness to provide anything close to the same level of PONI top-up to the Leinster provincial contract, if anything at all.
That essentially meant that the entirety of the offer came from Leinster’s provincial budget. If Lowe was to remain on the same salary, Leinster would have had to stump up even more from their own budget.
However, it’s understood that the new one-year contract offer to Lowe included incentives related to him continuing to play for Leinster in Champions Cup games and in international matches for Ireland.
It’s thought that if Lowe had managed to stay fully fit over the next year or so, the combined total of these pay-for-play incentives might even have allowed him to recoup most of the 50% or so that was being cut from his salary.
But with the base salary cut by 50%, it’s believed it was an offer that Lowe wasn’t happy with and didn’t feel reflected his current market value, having played two Tests for the Lions last summer and having been picked to start the two most recent Ireland games he was available for in February.
The issue with pay-for-play incentives is that sheer bad luck on the injury front can see players missing big chunks of the season. One bad impact injury can have a major financial knock-on effect with such measures in place.
From Leinster and IRFU’s point of view, the hope seemed to be that Lowe would back himself to be available and remain a first-choice player.
It’s not thought that this is the first time an Ireland international in their 30s has been offered a deal with such a balance of incentive-based conditions. With the IRFU and its provinces all tightening their belts financially on the rugby front, it may well be that this kind of thing becomes more common.
All of this said, Lowe is also believed to have been deeply unhappy with the process of how this new one-year offer was put in front of him.
From the IRFU’s point of view, they evidently believed that Lowe had begun to decline as a player. His injury during the Six Nations couldn’t have been more unfortunately timed.
Other options have emerged out wide for Farrell recently too, with Tommy O’Brien and Robert Baloucoune having a breakthrough Six Nations campaigns. Mack Hansen will return from injury next season.
Despite having his new four-year contract confirmed recently, Farrell has not done any media duties, so he hasn’t been publicly asked for his view of Lowe’s exit from Irish rugby.
Indeed, Farrell is not scheduled to speak to the media until two days before Ireland’s Test against Australia in Sydney on 4 July, when he will undoubtedly be asked about Lowe.
As for Leinster, they have had to pay the lion’s share of Lowe’s contracts, despite having limited access to him due to IRFU player management restrictions and injuries. Lowe has averaged 10 games per season for Leinster over the last five years.
Leinster are heading into the new era of having to contribute 40% of their players’ national contracts from August, with the IRFU redirecting that money into the player development pathways in Munster, Ulster and Connacht.
Like everyone else, Leinster are also dealing with challenges in continuing to generate revenues from ticket sales, merchandising and other commercial endeavours.
As such, Leinster were unlikely to foot the entire bill for Lowe on the terms he agreed at the start of his 1+1 contract.
The new one-year contract was put in front of Lowe in March, and it’s understood there was no deadline for him to give his answer.
Frustrated by the offer, Lowe and his representatives looked for options elsewhere.
He attracted attention from England and France, most notably Toulon, before an offer arrived from Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath.
Springboks wing Cheslin Kolbe is leaving the Japan Rugby League One club after three years there, meaning Suntory were on the lookout for a marquee signing to replace him.
Lowe fit the bill. They made him a two-year offer on a base salary that was considerably higher than the one-year offer from Leinster.
Lowe, who has a young family who have been very happy in Ireland, took his time to make a final decision.
In the end, he turned down Leinster’s offer and accepted Suntory’s.
His time in Irish rugby will conclude with Leinster’s URC final against the Bulls next Friday. It’s not expected that he will be involved in Ireland’s Nations Championship trip to Australia and New Zealand.
- This article was updated at 8.35am to include Connacht’s Mack Hansen on the list of players on IRFU national contracts.
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Contract Deal Ireland IRFU James Lowe JL Negotiations sayonara