Leicester sign England qualified Aussie with 'raw talent'

Leicester Tigers have taken a punt on Australian prospect Lachlan Shelley - an outside back who is qualified to play for England.

Tigers welcome Shelley to the club ahead of the 2022/23 season after the 22-year-old agreed to join from Sydney-based club Eastwood.

Previously a member of the Waratahs Academy, Shelley played his junior rugby in Gosford, as well as NSW Country at age-grade levels.

“Lachlan is young man who possesses a great desire to learn and improve and we are looking forward to welcoming him to Leicester Tigers," said Leicester Tigers Head Coach Steve Borthwick. “He has a lot of raw talent, pace and skill, of which we he is keen to improve upon and we believe he can at our club, as well as growing as a player and person on and off the pitch.

“From what we have seen of Lachlan in the Shute Shield for Eastwood, as well as his experiences with the New South Wales Waratahs Academy and age grade national sides in Australia, we have been impressed and believe he will be a good addition to our outside backs at Tigers.”

Shelley featured for the Eagles for the next two seasons, where he did enough to earn selection for the Junior Wallabies squad in 2020, before making the step up to senior rugby as part of the Eastwood Shute Shield squad in 2021 and 2022.

In 2018, Shelley joined Eastwood and represented the Shute Shield club at Colts level before being selected to represent NSW Country Eagles that same season in the U19s Rugby Championship.

“I am excited about this chance to join a club like Leicester Tigers, working with players of the calibre that are at the club and under Steve Borthwick," Shelley said. “I got a taste of it at the Waratahs, being around world class players, and can’t wait for this opportunity to experience that again at Leicester Tigers.

“I like the style of rugby and it excites me to have this chance to be a part of it, to learn and develop in such a professional environment.”