Wallabies prop puts pen to paper

Wallabies star Scott Sio has re-signed with Rugby Australia and the Brumbies until the end of 2022 on a new three-year deal.

The 27-year old established himself as a mainstay of the Wallabies front-row during Australia’s Rugby World Cup campaign in 2015 and hasn’t looked back since, amassing 55 Tests so far.

A product of the Australian Schools and Australian U20s program, Sio made his Super Rugby debut in 2012 before earning Test honours just a year later.

Sio said: “I’m super excited to re-sign. I’ve obviously been at the club for a long time and I’ve seen a lot of what we’re trying to grow. It’s really cool to be part of the youth’s next progression as well. I’ve seen that Noah Lolesio and Len Ikitau have re-signed too so it’s great to be part of their journey as well.

“It’s a special town. I’ve spent eight years of my life in Canberra and you get pretty close with the fans, and I really appreciate that so I’m looking forward to a couple more years.

“Winning the World Cup with the Wallabies is the goal this year so we need to recognise the steps to get there. We just had a camp in Brisbane and it was great to get the vibe and what we want to do moving forward,” Sio said.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika said: “I’m really pleased for Scott and for Australian Rugby that he’s committed long term. He’s already given so much to each of the teams he plays in but he’s still got plenty left to give.

“One thing that stands out with Scott is his commitment to the cause. He’s always committed to being a better person, a better player and contributing to a better team,” Cheika said.

The qualities that Sio brings to the front-row are well-renowned, and especially appreciated by Brumbies Head Coach Dan McKellar.

“Scott has been at the Brumbies a long time now and he has grown into a really good leader,” McKellar said of Sio. “We are fortunate to have a quality world class loosehead prop in Scott.

“Scotty is a powerful footballer, very dynamic with the ball in hand and I still think that his best football is ahead of him.

“It’s important to have someone of that quality who can identify where the issues are coming at scrum time and how to fix them. We have always prided ourselves on our scrum and maul and Scott plays a big part in that.”

Sio will be hoping to lead the Brumbies to a Super Rugby finals berth this season as they sit top of the Australian Conference with four rounds remaining.