Elsom becomes a Brumby
June 03 2009
Wallabies flanker Rocky Elsom has returned to Australia and signed with the Brumbies and the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) until 2011.
The former Waratahs loose forward has spent the past nine months playing for Irish club Leinster in Europe's Magners League.
Elsom played 21 matches for the Dublin-based side, including a man-of-the-match performance in their 19-16 Heineken Cup final win over Leicester at Murrayfield two weeks ago.
Prior to heading to the UK, the 26-year-old was a key member of the Waratahs, playing 66 Super Rugby matches between 2003 and 2008.
The tear-away flanker started for the Waratahs in their 2005 and 2008 Super Rugby final appearances as well as claiming the 2007 Matthew Burke Cup for Waratahs Players' Player.
Elsom, who returned to Australia this week to represent the Barbarians against the Wallabies on Saturday in Sydney, says he's keen to return to the Super 14 with the Brumbies.
"I'm very happy to be joining the Brumbies in 2010 and I look forward to mounting a challenge for the Super 14 title," he said.
Elsom made his Super Rugby debut against the Blues in 2003 and went on to score a try on debut for the Wallabies against Samoa in Sydney two years later. He was a member of the Wallabies' 2007 Rugby World Cup squad and scored a hat-trick of tries against Japan in their first match in Lyon, France.
Elsom said regaining his place in the Australian side was a factor behind his return to Australia.
"We made progress last year with the Wallabies and there are exciting challenges ahead in 2009," he said.
Brumbies Head Coach Andy Friend says Elsom returns to Australia having enhanced his global reputation in the Northern Hemisphere.
"Rocky has played an integral role in any of his sides' success over the past five years, whether it be the Waratahs, the Wallabies or Leinster," he said.
"He's a very impressive athlete and he's undoubtedly been the form player in Europe this season.
"He's an immense physical presence on the field, he's got incredible brute strength, he's extremely agile for a big man and there aren't too many players in world rugby who'd like to see Rocky Elsom charging at them.
"He consistently has an incredibly high work rate and offers some utility value across the back row.
"We're very pleased to have Rocky joining us for 2010 and we're excited to see what he will do in Brumbies colours."
With the retention of prop Guy Shepherdson and lock Peter Kimlin and with the addition of fly-half Matt Giteau and half-back Josh Valentine to an already impressive back-line, the Brumbies are heading in the right direction for 2010.