It has been some sort of journey for Sean Jansen.
The Dunedin-raised loose forward has been named in the Ireland squad for the Nations Championship next month.
It could mean Jansen, 27, gets to play the All Blacks at Eden Park on July 18, which would represent an almost surreal rise for a man who was playing Heartland rugby for the Old Golds just a few years ago.
Jansen was a talented player coming out of Otago Boys’ High School, but after impressing for Green Island and spending a season on loan to North Otago, he was eager to accelerate his professional pathway.
He played 15 games and scored five tries for English powerhouse Leicester before joining Irish club Connacht.
Jansen qualifies for the Emerald Isle through his grandparents, who hailed from Antrim and Kildare, and the first sign he was on coach Andy Farrell’s radar came when he was picked for an Emerging Ireland team in 2024.
He is coming off an excellent season for Connacht, scoring 10 tries in the United Rugby Championship and ranking third in tackles made as his team qualified for the Champions Cup.
Ireland, who also play the Wallabies and Japan in the new July tournament, already have a couple of exceptional No 8s in captain Caelan Doris and Jack Conan, so Jansen is in good company.
He has fellow Connacht debutants Billy Bohan and Sam Illo alongside him in the touring squad, and he could become the 15th New Zealander to represent Ireland at international level.
Among Jansen’s team-mates at Connacht are former Highlanders Sam Gilbert and Josh Ioane.
