Sean Jansen of Connacht celebrates after scoring against Ospreys. Photo / Getty Images
Dunedin-born Sean Jansen has taken one of the most unlikely paths to the upper echelons of professional rugby and now finds himself on the brink of becoming the 15th New Zealander to represent Ireland at international level.
As recently as 2021, Jansen was juggling multiple jobs while turning out for North Otago in the Heartland Championship. Disappointed by the lack of clear pathways to progress, he began considering a move to another province in a bid to keep his rugby ambitions alive.
That was until his uncle, who worked for the Australian Institute of Sport, urged him to put together a highlights video. Jansen did just that and, on New Year’s Eve, received an unexpected call from English Premiership heavyweights the Leicester Tigers.
Two months later, the loose forward relocated to England, where he began to learn the ropes of fulltime professional rugby under the guidance of then Tigers head coach Steve Borthwick.
After 18 months, and coming off an 11-appearance, five-try season, the Tigers were keen to keep him, but Jansen was eager for more starting opportunities and when Connacht came knocking, it was a move he couldn’t refuse.
A big incentive for the move to Galway was Jansen’s Irish heritage, with his grandparents who were born in Monasterevin and Belfast,meaning he’s eligible to play for Ireland.
Now in his third season with Connacht, Jansen has established himself as a regular at the back of the scrum in both United Rugby Championship (URC) and Champions Cup fixtures, and his form saw him selected for the Ireland A squad last year.
Last year, Jansen took a big step towards honouring his heritage after being selected for the Emerging Ireland and Ireland A teams.
Now 26, his sights are firmly set on breaking into Andy Farrell’s squad in 2026, with added motivation as Ireland prepare to face the All Blacks at Eden Park on July 18.
“It would be a dream of mine to play the All Blacks, the team I grew up watching,” Jansen told the Herald.
“I don’t try to think about it too much. If it comes, it comes. I’d love to play for Ireland, that’s my goal, but I’m just process-focused and taking it game by game. Hopefully the outcomes come from that.
“I’ve played close to 80 minutes almost every game this season and I’m playing well, so I’m hoping to follow a Bundee [Aki] path and work my way into the Ireland team.”
Andy Ward was the trailblazer among New Zealand-born players representing Ireland in the 1990s, opening the door for others such as Aki, James Lowe and Jamison Gibson-Park, all of whom have since gone on to represent the British and Irish Lions.
Aki is still a teammate of his at Connacht, while other Kiwis on the books there include former Manawatū loose forward Shamus Hurley-Langton, Highlanders utility Sam Gilbert and one-test All Black Josh Ioane.
Jansen admits the jump from the Heartland Championship to a club of Leicester’s stature was initially a shock, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Nemani Nadolo, George Ford, Jasper Wiese and Julián Montoya.
He credits Borthwick, now England’s head coach, as a pivotal figure in his development, with the assistants at the time including Richard Wigglesworth and Kevin Sinfield.
“After every training session I was doing one-on-ones with him,” Jansen said. “We’d do drills post-session, just the two of us.
“If he’d stayed at Leicester, I’d probably still be there now because he was the one who really helped get me to where I am. If I ever make it internationally, I’ll definitely flick him a message to say thank you.”
Despite his unconventional rise, Jansen always believed he would reach the elite level, even when his career appeared to be at a crossroads.
“I was so hungry to become a professional rugby player,” Jansen said. “That was my one and only dream. I trained really hard and did what I thought was right at the time.
“When I got put into a professional environment like Leicester, I soaked everything up. I went from being a raw player who flew into everything to becoming much more polished.”
While Jansen never featured in Super Rugby Pacific, one of the aspects he enjoys most about life in Ireland is the variety of opposition and styles of play.
Connacht compete in the 16-team URC, featuring sides from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and South Africa, while also facing English and French teams in European competition.
“There’s so much variety,” Jansen said.
“I’ve never played Super Rugby myself, but New Zealand teams and Australian teams are all similar enough, but in Ireland you play one team one week and the next it’s completely different and plays complete different.”
The province is coming off a major Champions Cup win over French side Montauban, securing a place in the knockout stages.
Up next is a clash with Irish rivals Leinster, which Jansen says carries special significance.
“Our stadium is reopening,” Jansen said. “They’ve built a big new stand, it’s opening week and it’s sold out.
“They talk about it almost like a State of Origin-type rivalry. It’s not your mates you’re playing against. That mindset really gets pushed.
“It’s those games you want to be involved in. Hopefully we can get a good win for the opening and kick our season on from there.”
Connacht currently sit 12th on the URC ladder, just three points outside the top eight.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.