Hansen available for Six Nations after three-game ban

Hansen has been one of Ireland's standout performers in recent years

Connacht wing Mack Hansen will be available to play in Ireland's Six Nations opener against England after being handed a three-match ban for comments he made about the refereeing in his club's loss to Leinster.

Hansen said the refereeing of his side's United Rugby Championship (URC) 20-12 defeat at Aviva Stadium on 21 December made it feel like they were playing against "16 men".

An independent disciplinary panel upheld a charge of misconduct against Hansen, who received a six-week suspension, three of which are suspended.

It means Hansen will miss Connacht's Challenge Cup games against Lyon and Cardiff and the URC encounter with Glasgow, but will be available to face England in the Six Nations on 1 February.

Hansen was charged with misconduct in breach of nine clauses of the URC's disciplinary guide, including law 3.3.13 which states foul play can include statements that are "unsporting and/or insulting".

In addition, Connacht have received a suspended €10,000 (£8,400) fine.

In its statement, the URC said Hansen "in large part accepted that his actions amounted to misconduct and apologised for his actions".

The panel, which met on Wednesday, also noted that Hansen "expressed extreme remorse about his comments and the manner of public attention it has drawn".

As part of his sanction, the Australia-born 26-year-old must apologise to referee Chris Busby and undertake "an appropriate course related to match officiating".

'My comments were ill-advised'

In a statement released through Connacht, Hansen said he "let my emotions get the better of me" following the Leinster game.

"Upon reflection, my comments to the media were ill-advised, and fell far short of the standards I expect of myself, and what the sport expects of its players," he said.

"I want to offer an apology to the match officials for any distress my comments may have caused. Our games are built on mutual respect and I didn't show that after the game.

"I also want to apologise to the URC, and I fully accept the findings of the independent disciplinary panel.

"I love Connacht, and I love rugby. Moving forward, I will channel all my energy and passion into representing my province and country to the absolute best of my ability – both on and off the field."

Hansen has been one of Ireland's standout performers since breaking into the team in 2022, scoring 13 tries in 27 caps, but missed last year's Six Nations because of injury.

The news will be welcomed by Ireland interim head coach Simon Easterby, who has lost Tom O'Toole for the England and Scotland games following the Ulster prop's six-game ban for a dangerous clearout in last month's match with Munster.