The rumours that have been circulating in recent weeks about a possible move by Nick Phipps and Curtis Rona to Premiership club London Irish have been confirmed on Friday morning.
The Waratahs duo will make the move after both signed contracts with the Premiership club.
“It was a really tough decision to make the move away from New South Wales�, said Phipps, who has been with the Waratahs since 2013 after starting his professional playing career with the Australian Sevens team and then playing Super Rugby for the Melbourne Rebels.
“I’ve
loved my time in the sky blue jersey and I’ve got so much pride for the teams
I’ve been lucky enough to represent, from schoolboys to club as well as for the
State and the Wallabies,� he added.
“I wouldn’t be in this position without the people that I’ve met and that have helped me along the way. All the volunteers, the coaches, the administrators, they have all supported me and I couldn’t be more thankful.
“It’s a really big year ahead with the NSW Waratahs and the Wallabies though, so I’m solely focused on throwing everything I’ve got into this Super Rugby season.
“I’ll take some amazing memories with me but I felt that the time was right for my family and
Rona,
who has been with the Waratahs for two seasons, said that he was excited about
the upcoming season and wanted to further improve his game.
“My
focus at the moment is to further improve my game and help our team achieve
success in Super Rugby this year. I am excited about the season ahead because I
know what we are capable of. I cannot wait for our first competition game and
see a full house at Brookvale Oval.
“I have made many friendships through this awesome game and gained a lot of
experience working with some of the best coaches and playing with the best in
Australia.
“I feel I am a better player from when I first started, I have learnt a lot but
I am at a stage of my career where I have been offered the opportunity to take
my young family to a new environment. I would like to thank everyone in the NSW
Rugby community for their support during my time here.�
Both Phipps and Rona will remain with the Waratahs until the conclusion of the team’s Super Rugby campaign.
