Rebels lock in pair of Junior Wallabies reps including brother of Wallaby prospest

The Melbourne Rebels have locked down Mason Gordon, the younger brother of five-eighth sensation Carter Gordon until at least the end of 2024.

Carter Gordon is having a breakout Super Rugby Pacific season and tipped for higher honours this year with the Rugby World Cup in France starting in September.

Mason, who at 20 is two years younger, has signed a new deal while fellow Australian U20's representative David Vaihu has also re-committed for an extra year.

The pair will be part of the Junior Wallabies squad to face New Zealand in Wellington next week ahead of the U20s World Cup in South Africa.

Yet to make his Super debut, Queenslander Mason said he wanted to play alongside his brother, while also learning from Wallabies star Andrew Kellaway.

"The reason I wanted to stay in Melbourne is because I'm learning so much and developing quickly in Melbourne," said Mason, who is also a five-eighth.

"As well as having my brother Carter there and learning off him, working with the likes of Andrew Kellaway has definitely impacted my decision to stay in Melbourne at the Rebels."

Carter, meanwhile, will return from a knee injury to face the Western Force on Friday night in the Rebels' final home game of the season.

Stalwart Reece Hodge will break the club record for most Super Rugby appearances in a Rebels jersey, overtaking Tom English's 98 caps.

Melbourne coach Kevin Foote has made six changes for the AAMI Park match.

Rising hooker Theo Fourie is among the changes and has been named to make his Super Rugby debut off the bench.