‘Welcome back to rugby’: Joseph Suaalii signs three-year deal with Rugby Australia

Rugby Australia locks the NRL’s brightest star into a multimillion-dollar deal to play for the Wallabies through to the 2027 World Cup.

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has signed a three-year deal with Rugby Australia. Picture: Getty Images

In the first shot fired in a new code war Rugby Australia has poached the NRL’s brightest star Joseph Suaalii on a three-year multimillion-dollar deal, locking him into play for the Wallabies through to the Rugby World Cup in 2027.

Rugby Australia boss Hamish McLennan and super coach Eddie Jones masterminded the contract to bring the 19-year-old sensation to the Wallabies – with the duo securing the star’s talents despite the Sydney Roosters efforts to keep the brilliant footballer in the NRL.

Suaalii will start with Rugby Australia in October 2024 and will play for the Waratahs in Super Rugby.

Suaalii was lured back to the 15-man code with an eye on the Lions Tour in 2025 and on home soil for the Rugby World Cup in 2027.

“Welcome back to rugby Joseph,” McLennan told The Australian on Saturday. “He is a lovely guy from a lovely family. We are thrilled to have him as part of Australian rugby.

“This is the first step in building towards the Lions and the Rugby World Cup in Australia.”

Suaalii attended the exclusive Kings school in Parramatta and was an Australian schoolboy rugby star, he went on to sign a junior contract with Souths and later was lured by the Roosters.

In July last year The Australian revealed that Suaalii remained the No.1 target for the code.

“We were sad to lose Joseph to league, but there’s an incredible pathway through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup, if he and others want it,” McLennan said last July.

He is currently in his second season at the Roosters.