Munster and IRFU remain hopeful Crowley will decide to stay

THERE’S A GAME to come with Ireland in Rome this weekend, then Jack Crowley will face into the task of making a big decision about his future.

Crowley’s current contract with Munster is due to expire this summer.

It’s believed his current deal is a PONI [player of national interest] contract whereby the IRFU gives a province additional funding in specific cases so they can make a stronger offer to a player who is in Ireland’s plans. Essentially, the IRFU tops up the player’s provincial contract.

It’s understood that Crowley was offered a new two-year contract before the Six Nations and there had been strong hopes within Munster and the IRFU that the deal would be signed by now.

When Crowley was starting at out-half for Ireland last season, guiding them to their 2024 Six Nations title, it had seemed that he might push for an IRFU national contract – also known as a ‘central contract’ – next time around.

However, Sam Prendergast has since emerged and has been preferred to Crowley at out-half in Ireland’s last six games.

That has essentially scuppered any chance Crowley had of securing a national contract and it’s understood the offer on the table now has been extended from Munster rather than the IRFU. It’s thought to be another PONI deal rather than a national contract.

What has changed the picture in the last few weeks has been the sudden interest in Crowley from Leicester Tigers, as first reported by the Daily Mail in the UK. Leicester are bidding farewell to two-time World Cup-winning out-half Handré Pollard at the end of the season as he joins the Bulls.

Leicester have been linked with several other out-halves as they search for Pollard’s replacement, but they have now taken interest in Crowley for obvious reasons.

Crowley is a 23-cap international who has won a Six Nations, led Munster to a URC title, and has lots of upside having turned 25 in January. The fact that he remains on the market by being out of contract this summer meant Leicester came calling.

It’s understood that Leicester have made a strong contract offer that is worth more than what Crowley has been offered to stay in Ireland.

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Leicester have seemingly also retained interest in several other out-halves, keeping their options open as they must.

The Tigers are not the power they once were. Though they won the Premiership under Steve Borthwick in 2022, they have finished third and then eighth in the English league in the past two seasons.

Money is far from the only factor for Crowley to consider. By leaving Ireland, he would be closing the door on his international career. Players based abroad are not picked for the national team and IRFU performance director David Humphreys recently confirmed that this policy will not be changing. It remains a massive card in the IRFU’s favour.

With a World Cup to come in 2027, it would be hugely difficult for Crowley to turn his back on representing Ireland.

While Crowley hasn’t been the first-choice out-half recently and naturally senses how highly Andy Farrell, Simon Easterby and co. rate Prendergast, he has always had huge ambitions of being Ireland’s number 10.

Crowley is still a relatively young player and things can change quickly when it comes to selection.

He is also a passionate Munster man and takes great pride in wearing the red jersey. He is a central figure for the province and with a new head coach arriving this summer in the highly-regarded Kiwi Clayton McMillan, there must be excitement about trying to help Munster to move to the next level.

Crowley has won a title with Munster already, but he and his team-mates believe there is much more to be done to bring the province where they feel it belongs. 

As Crowley weighs up his options, Munster fans will be stressed at the possibility of their key out-half exiting. Crowley leaving would be a grievous blow. It would be deflating for the entire province – coaches, players, and fans alike.

Humphreys recently spoke about the need for the IRFU to help Munster, Connacht, and Ulster to close the gap to Leinster, but this would do exactly the opposite. In that regard, the union must do its utmost to get a new deal over the line.

Budgets must be adhered to, of course. This all comes at a time when there seems to be a tightening of the belt from headquarters.

However, the sense from both Munster and the IRFU right now is one of quiet confidence about Crowley remaining on home soil.

Returning to finances, the reality is that players involved with Ireland can notably enhance their base salary via match fees and winning bonuses. There is also the sportperson’s relief which means players who end their careers in Ireland can claim back 40% of the tax they paid over a 10-year period.

So even though Crowley would bring in a bigger salary by moving abroad, Munster and the IRFU will be pointing to other financial benefits on home soil.

Irish players also value how well they are managed in Irish rugby. Some feel that over the course of a few years, the additional earnings on offer abroad aren’t worth what can be a slog in leaving home.

The Crowley situation is unique in that he was a starter for Ireland and seemed ready to grow into that role in the coming seasons, only to suddenly find himself playing second fiddle to Prendergast, who is three years younger than him.

This situation is doubly frustrating for Crowley because he would have had realistic ambitions of featuring on this summer’s Lions tour not that long ago. Given that Farrell was the one to promote Prendergast ahead of Crowley, that prospect now seems unlikely. Touring with the Lions is a major honour for players and it’s also lucrative for them.

Yet one can only presume that Farrell has been in contact with Crowley to stress that he remains an important part of Ireland’s plans for the future.

We know that Crowley is someone who backs himself. He is a tough competitor.

When Ronan O’Gara offered him a chance to move to La Rochelle in 2021, the young out-half decided to stay and fight for Munster’s number 10 jersey.

A couple of years later, he was helping the province to their URC title. A Six Nations crown with Ireland followed.

Crowley has pushed past a fair few out-halves in his career so far, edging ahead of the likes of Joey Carbery, Ben Healy, Ross Byrne, Harry Byrne, and others.

It would be a surprise if he doesn’t back himself to do that again. He has to consider his options, as everyone in every profession should. Money isn’t the only important element but it’s a big factor in any decision of this type.

Yet there is strong hope from Munster and the IRFU that Crowley will decide to stay put.