{"id":484439,"date":"2026-06-05T11:33:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T11:33:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/484439\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T11:33:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T11:33:12","slug":"andy-farell-extends-ireland-contract-and-with-clearance-for-lions-2029-tour-to-new-zealand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/484439\/","title":{"rendered":"Andy Farell extends Ireland contract and with clearance for Lions 2029 tour to New Zealand"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The coach will have two attempts to break Irish rugby&#8217;s most infamous glass ceiling, the rugby world cup quarter-final<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/94164_2906755.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Ireland Head Coach Andy Farrell \" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Ireland Head Coach Andy Farrell (Image: \u00a9INPHO\/Ryan Byrne)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Andy Farrell has signed a contract extension that will see him remain in charge of the Ireland Men\u2019s National Team through to the conclusion of the 2031 Men&#8217;s Rugby World Cup 2031.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The move sees the Wigan-born coach who turned 51 last Saturday with two attempts to break <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishmirror.ie\/all-about\/ireland-rugby-union-team\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Irish rugby&#8217;s<\/a> most infamous glass ceiling and get a rugby world cup semi-final.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He failed by the narrowest margin yet when losing by just four points, 24-28, at RWC 2023 in France. RWC 2027 is in Australia, RWC 2031 will be in the USA.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Meanwhile the necessary clauses have been put in place to allow Farrell a sabbatical through late 2028 and early 2029 to work full-time as <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishmirror.ie\/all-about\/british-and-irish-lions\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Lions coach <\/a>ahead of the tour to New Zealand.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">His handling of the 2025 winning tour to Australia was considered a huge plus by the Home Unions &#8211; all four of whom have the financial stakes in the Lions &#8211; and the right stuff when it comes to what expected to be a seismic and hugely financially profitable tour.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Announcing the signing of the deal this morning, <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishmirror.ie\/all-about\/irfu\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">the IRFU<\/a> were keen to stress, will allow the coach &#8216;continuity, stability, and long-term strategic direction&#8217; for the Ireland Men\u2019s Team.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Ireland three tour games this summer, against Australia (July 4th), Japan (July 11th) and All Blacks (July 18th).<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;I am incredibly proud to continue this journey with Irish Rugby,&#8221; <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishmirror.ie\/all-about\/andy-farrell\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Farrell <\/a>said in part of a longer IRFU-conducted interview released this morning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;It is a privilege to work with such a talented group of players and staff, and to represent the supporters whose passion and unwavering support drive this team forward and inspire us every time we take the field.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;What excites me most is the increasing strength and investment in pathways and the quality of talent coming through. There is a real confidence in the system that has been built across the provinces and age-grade programmes, and I believe with sustained effort that the best is yet to come.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">IRFU Chief Executive Kevin Potts welcomed the announcement: &#8220;We are delighted to secure Andy through to 2031.He is a truly world-class coach and an exceptional leader who has helped shape Ireland as one of the most exciting and consistent teams in the world.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;His impact reaches far beyond what we see on the pitch &#8211; he has instilled a deep sense of pride, connection, inspiration and belief across Irish Rugby, creating a culture that truly unites players and supporters and one that Irish fans at home and across the globe feel incredibly proud to stand behind.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;Ensuring Andy\u2019s long-term future with us is a hugely positive step for Irish Rugby as we continue to grow the game and strive for sustained success on the international stage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">IRFU Performance Director David Humphreys also underlined the importance of continuity in the role: &#8220;Andy\u2019s contract extension is a key investment in the long-term success of the Ireland Men\u2019s National Team through until Men&#8217;s Rugby World Cup 2031.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;Since taking the Head Coach position, Andy\u2019s leadership has established a clear performance vision for the team, driven consistently high standards and built an environment where players and staff can thrive at the highest level of the international game.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;This commitment to Irish Rugby gives us real confidence as we look ahead and allows us to keep developing our playing group, strengthen our high-performance systems, and ensure alignment from the pathway right through to the senior team.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Above all, it provides a stable platform to keep Irish Rugby competing with the very best in the world over the coming years.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" 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cup&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":484440,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[25747,58218,61,60,58215,12917,58216,43],"class_list":["post-484439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-andy-farrell","tag-british-and-irish-lions","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-ireland-rugby-union-team","tag-irfu","tag-new-zealand-all-blacks-rugby-union-team","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=484439"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484439\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/484440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=484439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=484439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=484439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}