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The rise of the Melbourne Rebels has continued, with the Super Rugby franchise signing former All Blacks centre Matt Proctor.
While in more good news for Australian rugby, Wallabies playmaker Noah Lolesio will stay put for the Brumbies for another season after being tempted by a move to Lyon in the French Top 14.
In news that will warm the heart of Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan, Proctor, who developed a reputation of running hard lines in attack and getting on the ball in defence for the Hurricanes, won’t be going back to New Zealand but rather to Melbourne.
Matt Proctor of the All Blacks with Steve Hansen. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
All year the Rebels have been on the hunt for a bone-crunching centre. At last, they have landed one.
Proctor, 30, has spent the past few years in the English Premiership under former Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd at Northampton Saints, but the one-cap All Blacks centre will return to Super Rugby in 2024.
It’s a fine piece of business from Rebels general manager Nick Stiles, who was on the hunt to replace the versatile Reece Hodge.
Although Hodge’s versatility made him a valuable figure for the franchise as he became the first Rebel to play 100 Super Rugby matches, Proctor is an out-and-out midfielder.
His arrival will shore up the Rebels’ defence and give them some real punch in the midfield that will undoubtedly help Carter Gordon.
As well as the hard edge Proctor will bring, he will also give the Rebels some experience and leadership for the ambitious Rebels.
Matt Proctor played one Test for the All Blacks in 2018 alongside former Hurricanes teammate Dane Coles. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Proctor, who missed the Saints’ semi-final defeat to Saracens, joins his former teammate Lukhan Salakaia-Loto at the franchise.
While other Australian franchises may have been more active with their signings, the Rebels have perhaps been the smartest.
Rather than plucking players willy-nilly, they’ve been targeted with their recruitment strategy.
It has seen Stiles place an emphasis on Ben Darwin’s cohesion theory, with fellow new recruit Taniela Tupou playing years alongside Salakaia-Loto and hooker Alex Mafi.
It can be seen with their coaching strategy too, with Stiles hoping the progress made translates onto the field in the coming years.
Wallabies playmaker Noah Lolesio will stay at the Brumbies in 2024. (Photo by David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the Brumbies too have reason to celebrate after 23-year-old Wallabies playmaker Lolesio opted to stay put in Australian rugby.
Lolesio signed a two-year extension deal last year but could have exercised a clause in his contract to get out of the deal after the 2023 season.
While Lyon chased the 17-Test Wallaby, Lolesio opted to stay put. He could yet take up a World Cup joker position overseas to get more experience and match practice under his belt if Eddie Jones doesn’t select the rising playmaker for this year’s World Cup.
Lolesio is unlikely to be included in Jones’ 33-man Wallabies squad for The Rugby Championship on Sunday, but his international experience, where he has helped win Tests against the All Blacks, England, France and South Africa, means he could still play a role going forward this year.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.