Sonny Bill Williams joins Toronto Wolfpack on two-year, $10m deal
Sonny Bill Williams is switching codes again with the dual NRL premiership winner joining Toronto Wolfpack on the most lucrative deal in rugby league history.
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All Blacks superstar Sonny Bill Williams is heading back to rugby league on the most lucrative deal in the game’s history, according to Channel Nine.
Fresh from a disappointing result at the Rugby World Cup in Japan, the hulking utility back will pocket $5 million-a-season over two years with new Super League club Toronto Wolfpack. News Corp last week revealed the monster bid Williams was considering among three offers for his services.
SBW is no stranger to the 13-man game, launching his incredible career with Canterbury Bulldogs before chancing his hand in rugby, claiming a Super Rugby title with the Chiefs with stints at Toulon, Crusaders, Wild Knights and the Blues.
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He became the fourth man to win both NRL (Bulldogs, Roosters) and Super Rugby (Chiefs) titles.
Wolfpack head coach Brian McDermott revealed earlier this month the dual international had expressed an interest in joining the Canadian club and he is thought to have held face-to-face talks with the centre or edge forward in Japan at the weekend.
The Toronto team is on the lookout for big-name signings following their promotion from the second-tier Championship and were keen on signing the All Blacks star.
The record deal would see Williams earn around four times the wages paid to NRL superstar Daly Cherry-Evans ($10 million over eight seasons) and AFL superstar Lance Franklin ($10 million over nine seasons).
The 34-year-old won the Rugby World Cup with New Zealand in 2011 and 2015 and last played professional rugby league with the Roosters in 2014.
Other rugby league and union teams were rumoured to be in the hunt for Williams’ signature after his contract with New Zealand Rugby ended following the All Blacks’ win over Wales.
Toronto has a competitive advantage over interested rivals of being able to sign Williams as a Super League marquee player where just $300,000 of his salary will be included in the team’s salary cap.
McDermott said recently his team wanted to bring in a David Beckham-type player to do for the Wolfpack what the former Manchester United favourite did for LA Galaxy — and that Williams fits the bill.
“Sonny Bill Williams has shown interest in us and that’s what it is at the moment,” McDermott said last month.
“He’s currently busy with the World Cup so I wouldn’t ever dare to suggest that he is more than interested in coming but the answer wasn’t a ‘no’ once we made contact so that’s something we’d like to follow up.”
The Wolfpack, a Canadian franchise, is funded by Australian mining billionaire David Argyle and will make its debut in the Super League next year after winning promotion by beating Featherstone Rovers.
Originally published as Sonny Bill Williams joins Toronto Wolfpack on two-year, $10m deal