Wigan Warriors icon’s next move confirmed following Championship departure
Harrison Hansen in action for Toulouse Olympique in 2022
Two-time Super League winner Harrison Hansen has joined French Elite Championship outfit Pia Donkeys following his departure from Toulouse Olympique.
Hansen’s exit from Toulouse was confirmed earlier this week, just a few days after the veteran celebrated his 39th birthday.
In the five seasons he spent at the Stade Ernest-Wallon, the forward made 90 appearances, with the last of those coming in October’s Championship Grand Final defeat at Wakefield Trinity.
Those games took Hansen’s tally in the British club game to 501 appearances, becoming just the 21st player to achieve the feat of 500 senior appearances earlier this year.
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Wigan Warriors icon’s next move confirmed following Championship departure
When you throw in the 10 games he played between Samoa, New Zealand and The Exiles on the representative front, that takes his tally up to 511 – scoring 86 tries in the process.
Born in Auckland, Hansen moved to Wigan at a young age and came through the youth ranks at The Brick Community Stadium.
Featuring 242 times at first-team level for the Warriors, he won two Super League titles – in 2010 and 2013 – as well as two Challenge Cups in 2011 and 2013.
Moving on to Salford Red Devils, Hansen also donned a shirt for Leigh – then Centurions – and Widnes Vikings before making the move over to France with Toulouse in 2020.
And having departed Olympique, the 39-year-old has confirmed his next move – linking up with Pia for the remainder of the 2024/25 French Elite Championship campaign.
The Donkeys are currently sixth in the table after three games, with Hakim Miloudi and Ethan Natoli both also joining them following their exits from London Broncos.
Speaking to Wigan Today, Hansen detailed: “I go off how my body feels. Everyone says that when you finish, you’re retired for a long time, and my body is working fine.
“I was probably after one more year with Toulouse, but they wanted to go in a different direction.
“I may have gone on the staff there in a coaching role, but it just didn’t work out that way, and then I got the opportunity to join Pia and live on that side of France.
“I couldn’t turn it down, it’s our (the family’s) favourite place to be. It’s a great lifestyle over there.
“I’m happy to go there and hopefully pass on some of my experience and hopefully help them win the French competition.”
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