Fittler junior considering career in rugby after Waratahs, RA offer

One of the most famous names in Australian rugby league could become a star attraction in a rival code, with Zach Fittler, the son of former Kangaroos captain Brad Fittler, considering an offer from the Waratahs and Rugby Australia.

Fittler, 18, is weighing up a future in professional rugby after playing union for the Scots College first XV in Sydney for the past three years, and after starring for the Waratahs and Australian under-16 sides in 2022. He also played league for the Roosters in Harold Matthews Cup, and made the NSW Blues under 17s squad.

While many assumed he would follow in his father’s footsteps and join the Sydney Roosters after finishing school this year, Fittler has caught the eye of Australian rugby officials.

The Waratahs have also been courting Fittler and his parents heavily since he entered their junior pathway system in 2022.

Fittler has had meetings at the Waratahs’ facilities recently with new director of performance Simon Raiwalui, and conversations with incoming coach Dan McKellar, and NSW Rugby sources confirmed he had been offered a two-year academy deal with the Waratahs.

Rugby Australia, which own the Waratahs, is also contributing to the contract offer, according to sources not authorised to comment publicly.

Zach Fittler has been making waves in both codes.Credit: Bryden Sharp, NSW Rugby

If he ends up at the Waratahs, Fittler could join Roosters star Joseph Suaalii at NSW’s Daceyville headquarters in 2025, and it would be a significant coup for the 15-man code in the contest for schoolboy talent.

Rugby has mostly been losing the battle, with increasing numbers of promising youngsters in the big schoolboy competitions in Sydney and Brisbane either poached by NRL clubs, or sent to the schools as part of an NRL contract.

With the weight of such a famous surname, the chance to strike out on his own, and in a different code, is part of the decision for the young Fittler.

The Waratahs, Rugby Australia and Fittler’s manager were contacted for comment.

“Zach Fittler definitely fits rugby union.”

NSW Rugby talent identification boss Andrew Cleverly

Slightly bigger than his father, the 105kg Fittler plays mostly back row in league for the Roosters but has filled a power-running midfield role, and even outside back, in rugby.

In an interview with this masthead last year, NSW Rugby talent identification manager Andrew Cleverley first revealed the outfit’s intention to convince Fittler to pursue a future in professional rugby.

Having previously overlooked teenagers signed with NRL clubs, the NSW Rugby junior system was re-jigged to allow selection of the “dual code” stars in the hope the exposure may help entice them to choose rugby over league after they leave school.

“It was a bit of a wrap-our-arms-around-him approach, and see whether they bite at that opportunity,” Cleverley said about Fittler.

“See whether they feel there is a future in the game for him, and if the game fits the way they like to play. Sometimes that’s the key thing.

“Zach, in our opinion, fits a power athlete playing in the middle of the field. Zach Fittler definitely fits rugby union.

“There are a lot of kids these days who are both, they’re not just a rugby kid or a league kid. We call them dual athletes. And it can be a tough decision for kids who are brilliant at both games.”

In the same article, Brad Fittler said of his son: “At the end of the day, my son enjoys playing both. I try to just stay a fan, and it can be tricky as a parent. Both codes are on offer there for him, but I stay out of telling him anything, really.

“I find he doesn’t listen to me anyway. I am just happy he is out enjoying himself.”

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