Ireland and Connacht winger Mack Hansen is set to face a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday after accusing referee Chris Busby of showing bias during Connacht’s URC defeat to Leinster last month.
The 26-year-old voiced his unsolicited frustration during the post-match interview at the Aviva Stadium, claiming that it felt like Connacht were up against “16 men” due to unfair officiating.
Australian-born Hansen, who has scored 13 tries in 27 appearances for Ireland, used strong language in his critique.
Watch: ‘It’s bulls**t!’ – Hansen blasts URC officials
Extraordinary post-match unload from Mack Hansen 🗣️
“I’m not going to change,” Mack told me, earlier this year. “I just say what’s going on in my head. Sometimes, it doesn’t always work. It’s who I am, though, so I’ll keep it going.”pic.twitter.com/cMYuGYQ4qS
— Pat McCarry (@patmccarry) December 22, 2024
Following Hansen’s remarks, Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins reportedly reached out to Tappe Henning, the URC’s refereeing chief, to clarify the context of the comments. Despite this, Hansen will face the committee for potential misconduct.
The URC has noted that since Hansen’s outburst was off-field, there was no immediate need for a disciplinary panel before Connacht’s next game — Hansen scored a try in a 17-7 loss at home to Ulster the week after his outburst.
Ireland’s 2025 Six Nations campaign commences on 1 February against England following Connacht’s successive Challenge Cup matches against Lyon and Cardiff.
Photo: Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images
