British and Irish Lions tour of Australia: Mack Hansen expects Aussie family to support Lions over Wallabies

He was born in Australia and his parents live in Canberra. But there’s one rule Mack Hansen’s family must adhere to if they want tickets to watch him play for the British and Irish Lions.

Aussie-born Lions star Mack Hansen has warned family members he won’t give them sought-after tickets to games if they support the Wallabies.

The Ireland larrikin returns to inflict more pain on Australian rugby, having been overlooked here before going on to become one of the best wingers in the world.

The 27-year-old, whose parents Craig and Diana and brother Jack still live in Canberra, expects their allegiance to be clear.

“With the Lions I’m sure — they better be anyway, I’m expecting them to be wearing red, so if not they won’t be getting tickets,” Hansen said.

Mack Hansen with parents Diana and Craig in Ireland.

Hansen is one of three Australian-born players in the Lions squad, alongside centre Sione Tuipulotu and prop Finlay Bealham, and has no regret about his path to the green Irish jersey, and now the red of the Lions.

It’s a surreal turnaround from when Hansen, his father and brother were in the Canberra stadium 12 years ago cheering the Brumbies as they famously defeated the Lions 14-12.

“It seems like an alternate universe,” Hansen said.

“I remember that last (Lions tour); the buzz around Australia and seeing these players you didn’t really get to see. It was amazing – it was cool to me. I always loved the Lions and I didn’t know it would be something that I’d get to do, but I’m here and I’m enjoying it. It feels like I’m properly living the dream.

Mack Hansen is challenged by Santiago Coredero during the British and Irish Lions’ clash with Argentina.

“It was my dad, my brother and me. We were sitting behind the goalposts watching it. It was mad.

“You don’t expect anyone to actually do it, but I talked to guys after that and they’d been pumped up for the game for weeks, working towards it. They saw it as the be-all and end-all. Also, guys are playing to try to get into the Wallabies as well, so there’s still a lot on the line for a lot of these teams.”

While Wallabies fans may think of what could have been had Hansen’s talent been properly nurtured in Australia, the former Brumby has no qualms about defecting to Connacht in 2021.

Mack Hansen is WORLD CLASS!

FULL VIDEO --> https://t.co/cMS99Li26Ppic.twitter.com/yGbCouuO6s

— Andrew Forde (@andrewfrugby) June 18, 2025

Mack Hansen playing for the Brumbies.

“No, I made my decision and it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made, so I haven’t really looked back at it at all and wondered, ‘What if?’. I’ve just been going forward with Ireland,” Hansen said.

“I have no regrets with that.

“I’ve got a new life over there, new friends, new family. For me, it’s definitely the best decision I’ve ever made.”

After the Lions lost their first game of the tour against Argentina last weekend, a serious attitude has engulfed the touring squad, and Hansen said the expectation is to win every game remaining.

“At the end of the day, four of the best teams, some of the best players in the world, you should be winning every time, so every time it’s a loss, it just isn’t good enough,” Hansen said.

“That’s the best thing that this group has on its shoulders at the moment, that we know that and as disappointed as we were, we don’t want to feel that again.

“If anything, it’s good to feel it early and then we know that we’ll get our heads absolutely chewed off if it happens again, so the plan is to win from here on out.”

Originally published as British and Irish Lions tour of Australia: Mack Hansen expects Aussie family to support Lions over Wallabies