Australia’s Taniela Tupou offered deal with Leinster as Melbourne Rebels future remains unclear
As Rugby Australia remains in a stalemate over the future of the Melbourne Rebels, rival codes and clubs are swooping in on their biggest names, writes JAMIE PANDARAM.
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Wallabies prop Taniela Tupou is the latest big name mulling a defection, with Irish champions Leinster targeting the giant as the Melbourne Rebels’ future remains unclear.
Tupou is contracted to Rugby Australia and the Rebels until the end of 2025, on a deal worth $1.2 million a year, however if the Rebels fold at the end of this Super Rugby season then the 27-year-old could make the move abroad.
CODE Sports understands Leinster has tabled an offer worth around $950,000 a year for the tighthead prop. Leinster have just lost Samoan international Michael Alaalatoa and are on the lookout for a replacement.
As the NRL targets off-contract youngsters Max Jorgensen and Jordan Petaia, the threat from overseas rugby clubs remains as potent, and while RA is hamstrung around the future of the Rebels rivals are making their plays.
The Rebels have threatened legal action against RA, who must carefully navigate the discussions and decision around the club, who are in debt for up to $20 million.
RA, who themselves had to take out an $80 million loan amid a gloomy financial and lack of private equity investment, cannot bail the Rebels out. But the Melbourne club claim RA has not paid them what they fully owe – a claim rejected by the national body.
Tupou was the high-profile signing for the Rebels from Queensland, but against his old club last weekend the 135kg bulldozer was ineffectual and hooked from the field after just 33 minutes.
Yet he remains one of the Wallabies’ most recognisable and marketable faces, and news that he is potentially moving overseas comes as tickets for the 2025 British and Irish Lions series went on sale.
There are still no guarantees the Rebels will be playing the touring side as scheduled for July 22 at Marvel Stadium. If they’re axed, RA will organise a match for the Lions against a Pasifika team or Australia A.
Tupou is the latest in a line of Wallabies stars being eyed by rivals as RA is handcuffed by the Rebels saga, which has had a flow-on effect of leaving next year’s Super Rugby salary caps unclear because they don’t know how many teams they’ll field.
Waratahs centre Izaia Perese is off to English rugby after this season, while Wallabies five-eighth Noah Lolesio and centre Len Ikitau are also off contract and assessing options abroad.
But Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt is hopeful that Australia’s best players will remain here to not only feature in the Lions series, but also the 2027 World Cup.
“Having something like a Lions series right in front of them, and then beyond that, a home World Cup, that’s what some of these kids coming through, they grow up really wanting those opportunities,” Schmidt said.
“So those opportunities are right there in front of them. And that’s something in a more global game, that they can’t get in some of the other codes that we’re competing for, for these players in.
“And while there is always going to be speculation, it doesn’t happen that often. If you had a list of code swaps, I think there’d be a lot more that swap across to rugby union rather than the other way round.
“And I can’t guarantee that’s going to continue to be the case, but I do know, having spoken to some of the players, some of the young players particularly, that they’re really excited about these opportunities coming up.
“All I can do is try to encourage that excitement and reward performances that they put in, and selection when we get to it, and then hopefully get them to combine with other more experienced players because we want to have a mix to deliver a product they enjoy delivering and people enjoy spectating.”
Schmidt said he hasn’t yet sought clarification from RA on how many overseas-based players he can pick for the June Test series against Wales and Georgia.
“What I would say is that players who are playing in Australia will be a priority for us,” Schmidt said.
“And if that is supplemented by a few players playing overseas, then that may well be the case.
“I haven’t even asked around clarity at this stage yet, so I am tracking the players who are playing overseas, particularly the ones who were at the World Cup.
“But my fullest focus is on the guys who are playing week to week in the in the Super teams here and in Australia.”
The Wallabies captaincy is “another one that I’d like a little bit more time on”, Schmidt added. “Probably the full Super season, even leadership teams and things like that, to get to know players,” he said.
France-based Will Skelton captained the team at last year’s World Cup, and when he was injured Dave Porecki took over.
Porecki finally got to meet Schmidt on Monday at the Lions ticket launch at The Rocks, but the coach will take his time before determining who leads the team under his watch.
“I’ve had a little bit of an opportunity to talk to some of the experienced players and some of the captains,” Schmidt said. “I’ve had a follow-up chat with guys like Jake Gordon and Allan Alaalatoa, and caught up with Nick White recently.
“All those are opportunities for me to get a little bit of a flavour of who they are, but also to get an insight into how they see the game and how they see the game being played at the moment.
“And some of those guys who are on the sideline at the moment – even talking to Dave here today has been beneficial.”
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Originally published as Australia’s Taniela Tupou offered deal with Leinster as Melbourne Rebels future remains unclear
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