World Cup dream sees Gordon reject overseas offers and re-sign with Tahs

Jake Gordon says the desire to compete at a home Rugby World Cup, and be a part of a Wallabies team trending up under coach Joe Schmidt, were the major factors in him spurning overseas interest and recommitting to the Waratahs.

Ahead of his return from a knee injury against the Brumbies on Saturday night, Gordon revealed he was close to formally re-signing with NSW and Rugby Australia. The deal is for two years, according to informed sources.

Gordon, 31, was weighing up the option of moving offshore, after receiving interest from English, French and Japanese clubs.

Earlier in the year, he admitted the uncertainty around the identity of the next Wallabies was a factor in his decision, after being overlooked by Eddie Jones for the Rugby World Cup but then becoming a regular starter under Schmidt last year.

The Wallabies coaching situation was resolved this week, with Schmidt extending to August, 2026, ahead of a handover to Les Kiss.

“I really enjoyed my time with the Wallabies last year, and really enjoyed my time with Joe. He was really good for my development at Test level,” Gordon said.

Jake Gordon passing against the Hurricanes.Credit: Getty Images

“I see the opportunity we have here too. I thought the progression that we’ve had has been really good. I’m not sure if there’d be regret [of not going overseas], there’s a possibility of that. I want to keep competing ... and I see a really exciting opportunity here in the next few years. I want to be a part of it.

“I’d had ongoing discussions with Phil (Waugh) and Joe and people like that .. there were definitely talks with a few overseas clubs, which, you know, would be silly for me not to do at the point of my career. And, you know, we came to the grounds here that I like the way we’re trending and I see a really good opportunity for myself and the team to, you know, stay here for a little bit longer.“

Joe Schmidt and Les Kiss, the current and future Wallabies coaches.Credit: Getty Images

An unusual scenario now exists where Kiss will take over in 15 months, but remain a rival coach at the Reds until then.

Asked if he would seek to set up a chat with the incoming Wallabies coach about long-term plans and ideas, Gordon said: “Probably not. It’s an interesting one. He’s probably going to have his hands full with the Reds. I’ve met Les a few times. Seems like a really nice guy.

“But I’ve had limited time, especially in a rugby environment, with him. He seems to be doing a really good job with the Reds. I wouldn’t say no to the conversation, but I won’t be reaching out to chat to him.”

Gordon’s extension at the Waratahs will put pressure on the organisation to also keep his highly-rated deputy Teddy Wilson, who is also off-contract and is being chased by the Western Force.

Waratahs coach Dan McKellar has said repeatedly that he wants to keep Wilson, too, and that he is the future of the Tahs, and a player that should be at NSW for a decade.

McKellar has pledged to develop and bring Wilson through at the same time, but if he is to effectively rotate the pair, he’ll have call to make regarding Gordon’s captaincy next year.

Gordon said he hoped Wilson would stay, and likened the pair’s relationship to when Nick Phipps was still at the Tahs above him.

The Waratahs haven’t won in Canberra since 2018 but Gordon said the drought-breaking win by the Tahs over the Brumbies in March - the first in their last 13 games - would serve them well.

“It was a few games to get us there,” Gordon said.

“We’ve had some really good battles of late. Apart from the last game, they’ve sort of won the sort of tight ones. The group was pretty pumped with the last game at Allianz. We see this game as a really good opportunity for us as a group away from home, and against one of our traditional rivals.”

Who doesn’t love a sleep-in and the hotel buffet? Try Waratahs coach Dan McKellar

It’s the stuff that makes for a good holiday - staying at a nice hotel, sleeping in late and then wandering down for a session at the breakfast buffet.

But these are not behaviours that will help a professional rugby team win games on the road, according to Waratahs coach Dan McKellar.

Ahead of a critical clash against the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday night, the Waratahs have been investigating why they’ve had Jekyll-and-Hyde results in 2025. The Tahs are unbeaten from five games at home, but have suffered four heavy defeats on the road.

NSW sit seventh with five rounds left, but only have two more home games, so an away win this weekend is likely needed to be a chance of making the top six and the playoffs. The Tahs haven’t won in Canberra since 2018 but the door is slightly more open than usual, with the Brumbies having lost two home games this year and after NSW beating their rivals in round six for the first time in 13 games.

But that was in Sydney, and McKellar said they’d been “looking closely” at why their form on the road is so vastly different.

“It’s an individual thing,” McKellar said. “It’s making sure there’s no distractions to allow you to go out there and perform at the level that you want to perform at.

Ben Grant of the Waratahs wins the ball from a line outCredit: Getty Images

“There’s different things. You’re in a hotel, there’s a buffet sitting around. If you want to over-eat and sleep in until 11 o’clock and be a little bit lethargic, then that’ll flow into your performance.

“So we’re doing a lot of work around just really making sure that our individual routine and schedule is where it needs to be.”

Travelling to chilly Canberra should offer less distraction than their last trip to Fiji, and the Tahs will also welcome back Wallabies players captain Jake Gordon (knee injury), and Angus Bell, Taniela Tupou and Andrew Kellaway (all rested).

Teddy Wilson has been excellent for the Waratahs in 2025.Credit: Getty Images

McKellar said Teddy Wilson - who has performed superbly in Gordon’s five-game absence, would continue to play a key role off the bench. With Gordon having spurned an overseas move to re-sign for another two years, McKellar again stressed his desire to also re-sign Wilson, who is off contract and being chased by the Force.

“Nothing changes with Ted. He’s the future,” McKellar said. “I’ve had quiet, private conversations with him around that, and I’ll talk to him and his family again. We want him here for the next 10 years.”

Sevens players assimilating well into Wallaroos scene: Yapp

Meanwhile, Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp said she can see no tension between 15s players and recruits from the Australian sevens team, after naming Olympic star Charlotte Caslick for her Test debut.

Caslick was one of six potential debutants named in the Wallaroos side to meet Fiji on Saturday in Suva, with the sevens veteran set to come off the bench at fullback or as a winger. Fellow Aussie sevens teammate Tia Hinds was also named for a probable debut.

Prop Faliki Pohiva and hooker Katalina Amosa will both start in their debuts. The latter is the sister of Wallaby Brandon Paenga-Amosa, making them the second set of siblings to both play Tests for Australia, after Matt and Kristy Giteau.

One of nine sevens players who signed up for a crack at selection for the World Cup later this year - via short stints in Super Rugby - Caslick made the big call to step away from the rest of the world sevens series this year, to focus on the 15-a-side game.

“I am really proud of myself. I think being 30 years old and putting yourself in a new environment and out of your comfort zone is always challenging,” Caslick said. “It’s been a little bit daunting at times, but I’ve been so well welcomed into the groups that I’ve joined that I really haven’t felt out of place at all.”

Former Wallabies star Mat Rogers, who manages Maddi and Tegan Levi, said last week there had been animosity toward the sevens players in Super Rugby. Maddi Levi missed out on playing with the Reds due to injury, but is still being considered for the World Cup.

“From my perspective, with the three girls currently in camp that have transitioned in, they’ve done exceptionally well. They’ve literally fitted into the 15s environment so well,” Yapp said.

“The rest of the girls have absolutely embraced them, and I think if you ask any of them how they feel, they would say that.”

The Wallaroos start their Pacific Four campaign next week in Newcastle against New Zealand.

Wallaroos v Fijiana, Saturday, 3pm, HFC Park, Suva

1. Bree-Anna Browne (#193 - Wests Bulldogs) – 9 caps

2. Katalina Amosa (Southern Districts) – debut

3. Faliki Pohiva (Blacktown Scorpions) – debut

4. Michaela Leonard (#168 - Tuggeranong Vikings) – 32 caps

5. Tiarah Minns (#217 - Melbourne University) – 1 cap

6. Siokapesi Palu (c) (#194 - Rockdale Rangers) – 16 caps

7. Ashley Marsters (#117 - Boroondara) – 34 caps

8. Tabua Tuinakauvadra (#200 - Orange Emus) – 11 caps

9. Layne Morgan (#188 - Merewether Carlton) – 29 caps

10. Faitala Moleka (#199 - Blacktown Scorpions) – 15 caps

11. Desiree Miller (#204 - Eastern Suburbs) – 12 caps

12. Cecilia Smith (#190 - Leeton Dianas) – 18 caps

13. Bienne Terita (#195 - Randwick) – 5 caps

14. Maya Stewart (#196 - Nelson Bay Gropers) – 16 caps

15. Caitlyn Halse (#210 - Camden Rams) – 6 caps

Reserves

16. Tania Naden (#197 - Uni-North Owls) – 19 caps

17. Martha Fua (Blacktown Scorpions) - debut

18. Eva Karpani (#171 - Southern Suburbs) – 31 caps

19. Ashley Fernandez (Uni-North Owls) – debut

20. Emily Chancellor (vc) (#158 - Sydney University) – 23 caps

21. Tia Hinds (Randwick) – debut

22. Trilleen Pomare (#155 - Wanneroo) – 33 caps

23. Charlotte Caslick (Wests Bulldogs) – debut

Watch all the action from the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season on Stan Sport, the only place to watch every match ad-free, live and on demand.