Mack Hansen debuted a new look on The Tommy Tiernan Show, shaving off his moustache, and it’s safe to say his new bare-faced look went down a hit.
The comedian was taken aback by the Aussie-born Irish rugby star’s personality, pointing out that it is surprising how down-to-earth Mack is.
‘It’s funny because you are sitting across from me here, and you are so normal and nice,’ Tommy smiled as he told him. ‘You have this great, attractive ordinariness about you.’
Mack Hansen, Italy and Ireland at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
‘In the back of my head, I’m going, “This guy’s an international rugby player, he is an elite athlete,”‘ the Navan man laughed. Mack is originally from Canberra, but qualifies to play for Ireland as his mum, Diana, is from Cork.
The Connacht man is a doting son and even refused to share his mum’s age on television. Talk about a dream child! When pressed, he joked that his mum has been 38 for quite some time now.
Mack Hansen with his family. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Despite being from Australia, the 27-year-old told Tommy how he has a sense of being Irish while playing. ‘It’s one thing just to play, but I think to play international rugby and really buy into it, you’ve got to have a sense of being Irish, really.’
‘I was lucky enough that I’ve got history, so buying into that, the Irish rugby team is very special because we’re the only one that combines with Northern Ireland as well, it’s just little things like that you get a real appreciation for, and for what it means to wear the jersey.’
Mack Hansen. Pic: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
Viewers were quick to gush over the star, with many people taking to social media to tell him they ‘love’ him.
‘So handsome,’ one person penned, while another added: ‘Mack is the best.’ A third person wrote: ‘Mack is an incredible player and a great person. We are lucky to have you in a green jersey,’ while a fourth added: ‘Mack is class in every sense of the word.’