LAST UPDATE | 16 Dec 2024
THE IRFU HAS announced that Tadhg Furlong and Andrew Porter have signed contract extensions with Ireland and Leinster which will run until the end of the 2026/27 season.
Three-time Six Nations winner Furlong made his Ireland debut against Wales in 2015, and has made 78 international appearances. The Wexford man has represented Leinster 149 times, winning four Pro12/Pro14 titles and the European Champions Cup.
“To get the chance to continue my playing career in Ireland with my home province is a dream come true,” he said following the announcement.
“I am delighted to extend my long association with both Leinster Rugby and the IRFU for the seasons to come. Since the beginning of my career I have aimed to contribute positively in a winning environment and I believe that there are bright times to come for club and country.”
We're delighted to announce that Tadhg Furlong has signed a two-year contract extension with Ireland and Leinster Rugby until the end of the 2026/27 season! ✍️#TeamOfUs
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) December 16, 2024
IRFU Performance Director, David Humphreys, added of Furlong’s retention:
“Tadhg is a world-class tighthead whose influence transcends his abilities on the field. Since breaking into the Leinster and Ireland set-ups he has set a new standard as a prop and his hunger to improve and perform at a consistently high level sets him apart.
“Today’s announcement underpins the IRFU’s commitment to retaining top talent and in ensuring that the best Irish players will continue to play at home. I would like to wish Tadhg well in the years to come.”
Loosehead Porter, who started all 11 of Ireland’s Tests in 2024, remains one of Leo Cullen and Andy Farrell’s most important players in either blue or green.
The 28-year-old made his Test debut against USA in 2017 and has gone on to earn 70 Ireland caps.
Like Furlong, Porter has won three Six Nations titles and featured at both the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cups.
Porter has played 128 times for Leinster since making his professional bow in September 2016, winning four league titles and the European Champions Cup. The Dubliner has scored 18 tries for his province.
“Playing in Ireland is something that I never take for granted and I’m delighted to commit my future to my home province Leinster and Ireland,” Porter said.
“There’s a huge amount of talent coming through the system at provincial and international levels and it is a privilege to work with such a talented group of coaches and players.
“I believe that the level of competition will drive us all on as we bid for success in the months and years to come and I’m proud that I will have the chance to be a play in the Irish system for the next number of seasons.”
Humphreys added on Porter: “Andrew is an outstanding world-class talent and it is a huge statement of intent that he has committed his future to both Leinster and the IRFU. He has maintained a consistently high level of performance for club and country and his durability means that he is a key figure in Irish Rugby and will continue to be so for the next few seasons.
“We are delighted that Andrew has signed a new deal and look forward to him taking the next steps forward in his career in the years to come.”
Nobody here mentioning his injury profile.he can’t seem to stay fit.
Probs a blank cheque. We’re threadbare a best
@Papa Kilo: you’re dead right. They shouldn’t have renewed his contract. He should have been cut loose completely.
@anthony davoren: spot on. Who has ever heard of a prop getting injured, clearly he is made of custard
@scott casey: never rated him anyway. Thank god there are wiser people out there to highlight this crazy decision
@anthony davoren: sarcasum
People having a go at Furlong here, just remember there was a time when Healy was considered injury prone to the point that he almost retired. He now has 134 caps and probably will get at least 5 more. If Furlong didn’t think he could turn it around, he wouldn’t have signed that contract. Dismissing Furlong as a has been in a position where we can ill afford to lose him is stupid.
@Conor Lynott: I’m not dismissing him just questioning the timing of the contract renewal given his injury profile over the last few seasons. It would be great if he did a Healy on it and returned to full fitness and form.
@Conor Lynott: sure you have a go at everyone else, so what’s the issue?
@Conor Lynott: are you not wrong on numerous points? Healy wasn’t really injury but had one specific injury he didn’t think he could recover from. He thought that himself! It would be downright weird for furlong himself to think he could not turn it around. Nobody has dismissed him as has been but many are questioning why an elder player with terrible recent injury profile gets a two year contract. Right now is anyone confident he’ll play in March not to mind march 2027? And finally, Ireland and Leinster scrum has not been great lately by any stretch of imagination. Either our front row is not as good as the Irish media believe or…
Best tighthead in world by country mile
@Gary Galligan: bit early in the morning to be drinking.
@Gary Galligan: no he’s not. He’s not been available for either leinster or ireland often enough in the past few seasons. He needs a decent run injury free.
@chris mcdonnell: who’s better
@Gary Galligan: Tyrel Lomax.
@Gary Galligan: go back and watch him minced against bulls in urc semi final last year you might think differently.
@Gary Galligan: anyone who’s fit, i think is the point.
@Gary Galligan: Malherbe is definitely better and Du Toit
@Barry Leahy: all round no way .. tadgh is unreal in loose
@Gary Galligan: When fully fit yes but he’s been injured a lot of lately. Costly renewal if he’s unable to play.
@Gary Galligan: fagerson is better atm
@Gary Galligan: his primary role is to scrimmage and lift in the lineout.
@Gary Galligan: when was the last time he was unreal in the loose? He’s not been fit enough for a long time.
@Barry Leahy: PSTD is an amazing player and world player of the year… but not a Tight Head Prop!!
@Niall English: Drinking smoking drugs is all u say
@Gary Galligan: very true
Woohoo!
@Mark O’Keeffe: update: double woohoo!!
Excellent piece of work again IRFU.
The drip drip approach to contract announcements!! Invariably, Porter is the more important of the 2 as he has more time to give. Delighted to see Furlong staying, but Clarkson looks good enough to take over the mantle pretty soon.
@Paul Ennis: Has improved a lot this year, 25 in February so only coming to his best. That said I think he’s well behind Furlong (when fit) and Bealham. Both of those are in their 30s so the more quality young props that can make the breakthrough the better
@TL55: I think he needs gametime to improve. Furlong had an obvious natural talent and Porter was so explosive he was impossible to leave out of the team. But the vast majority of props improve with experience gained through games. I don’t think Clarkson will ever be in the Furlong bracket but he is as good as anybody else coming through the system in Ireland right now.
@Paul Ennis: Playing against the Georgians next summer should be a good test for him as propping is certainly one of there strengths.
@Paul Ennis: Presumably, they reckon that announcing about 15 central contracts for Leinster players on the same day might be triggering for supporters of other Provinces?! It’s a great plan – we’ll never notice if it’s only one or two at a time.
@Justin Robinson: Mwahahaha
@Justin Robinson: my understanding was the best irish players get central contracts. That is one of the reasons a club would develop players to play for Ireland rather than buying in mercenaries. Maybe the other irish side should develop a few home greom players.
They must have got big contracts, with the IRFU saying there’ll be no more NIQ props, the IQ agents must be rubbing thier hands together, you can either sign them for this megabucks deal, or you can go and sign some IQ prop from the English 2nd division or AIB, its up to you?
@Kingshu: didn’t think of that. Would not begrudge any prop getting paid well. Hopefully a few more get new contracts too.
@chris mcdonnell: Nor did DH. Basically, instead of recruiting foreign props who can actually scrum, the Provinces will be blocking the path of young props by signing IQ Champo players and/or re-contracting veterans, who’ve already proved they aren’t good enough for international rugby, for more money.
@Kingshu: The difficulty with IQ props is if they’re good enough they’re probably already in their home country squad or at least knocking on the door. If they’re not and need further development it’s a risk as to whether they’ll make it at all or within an acceptable time frame.
Wonder have any South Sea Island or Georgian props got an Irish granny?
@Kingshu: It is certainly going to weaken the IRFU negotiating position when any Irish prop contracts come up for renewal. It is probably worth 10 to 20% to them all.
@TL55: jager was signed from NZ. If the irfu was serious about developing props they would scrap the 1.5 metre rule in underage scrums. Force coaches to stop putting backrowers into the frontrow and make kids who are natural props valuable at underage.
@chris mcdonnell: What do props learn when they are part of a pack that is so much better than the other pack that they can push more than 1.5m? The 1.5m rule is there for safety… not just for under age, but all the way up to J3. You are far more likely to have mismatched scrums and if one team can push another more than 1.5m, neither team is learning anything. What would be more beneficial is better and/or more coaching workshops. John Fogarty was doing them around the province at the time he retired from playing. He continued them until he was promoted to the Leinster coaching ticket 5 or 6 years later. We should be importing some coaching expertise (such as Slimani maybe), not to coach the professional players, but to coach the youths and schools coaches around the country.
@Paul Ennis: On that point, what is Mike Ross up to now? He was coaching an AIL team for a while. Wasn’t he a self confessed scrum nerd?
@Paul Ennis: Yes, a fella called Seamus Toomey from, I believe Blackrock, Old Belvo and, going forward, the U20s, has been brought on board. It’s a step in the right direction but it’s still unlikely to help Ulster hold up a scrum for the next five years.
Delighted for him! He’ll be 34 then and post WC, I wouldn’t be surprised if he retires from international rugby, has played a huge amount and injuries are mounting up… Although Healy is still going!
@Andrew Slazenger: this contract doesn’t include the WC, so another one year deal will be needed at least.
@brian o’leary: Didn’t think of that. Interesting hedging of the bets by the IRFU!
Well deserved two great players
@Shanie: 100%
The endless teaser vids from IRFU on IG around these extensions were so silly and unnecessary.
@Brenda Collins: God forbid people have some whimsical fun and glee in their lives…