Andy Farrell names Ireland 36-man rugby squad for Nations Championship

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has named a 36-man squad for the northern hemisphere section of the Nations Championship, the Irish Examiner and the Irish Times reported. Leinster hooker Dan Sheehan will captain the team, while Ulster players Jamie Benson and James McNabney earned their first senior international call-ups. [1][2]

The squad sees the return of Andrew Porter, Ryan Baird, and Mack Hansen, according to the Irish Times. The three players last played for Ireland in November 2025 during a match against South Africa at the Aviva Stadium, after which Hansen was sidelined due to a foot injury that required surgery in December. [2][3]

Several key players were excluded from the selection because of injuries, the Irish Examiner and the Irish Times reported. Those unavailable include regular captain Caelan Doris, alongside Jack Boyle, Harry Byrne, Jack Conan, Jack Crowley, Iain Henderson, Paddy McCarthy, Calvin Nash, and Bryn Ward. Cormac Izuchukwu also missed out on selection. [1][2][3]

The Nations Championship is a biennial international men's rugby union competition launched in 2026. The tournament features 12 teams divided into Northern and Southern Hemisphere conferences. Ireland will face Argentina on November 6, Fiji on November 14, and South Africa on November 21, before playing a fourth fixture against a yet to be determined opponent. [1][6][8]