SYDNEY (Reuters) – Wallabies captain Harry Wilson has signed a contract extension which will keep him in Australia until the end of 2029 after declining to consider any offers from abroad.
The Queensland Reds number eight was left out of the 2023 World Cup squad by Eddie Jones but has revived his test career under Joe Schmidt and skippered the Wallabies in seven of the last eight matches.
“I didn’t speak to another club. I didn’t want to be a Wallabies captain shopping himself around the world,” the 25-year-old said in a news release.
“I’m the current Wallabies captain. Who am I to tell others to stay in Australia if I’m not signed, sealed and delivered myself?”
Wilson will be hoping to lead Australia against the British and Irish Lions later this year and at the World Cup on home soil in 2027.
“This is the only place I wanted to be,” he added. “I want to give the best years of my rugby career to being part of success in the Reds and the gold jersey. Being part of a home World Cup is something you dream about.”
First though, he will be looking to help the Reds to another winning season in Super Rugby Pacific, starting with their season-opener against Moana Pasifika in Brisbane on Friday.
“He’s a natural leader,” said Reds coach Les Kiss, one of the candidates to replace Schmidt when the New Zealander leaves the Wallabies job in October.
“The difference he makes in the locker room is palpable. This news will be welcomed by fans, stakeholders and the whole locker room.”
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
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