Wallaby standoff ruled out of World Cup after signing for Toulon

Wallaby flyhalf Noah Lolesio has effectively ruled himself out of the running for a Rugby World Cup spot with the Wallabies after is has been confirmed by Toulon that he has officially joined as a World Cup joker.

The young standoff will be providing valuable reinforcement for Toulon, who will be without Dan Biggar for the duration of Wales' participation in the tournament.

Unwanted by new Wallabies head coach Eddie Jones, Lolesio will join fellow Australian test outcast Jake Gordon who also signed for Toulon this week.

Pierre Mignoni, head coach of RCT, expressed his excitement about the acquisition, highlighting Lolesio's versatility and ability to adapt to different positions.

Pierre Mignoni said: “Noah Lolesio will make up for the absence of Dan Biggar during the World Cup. He is a complete player who has good gestural qualities and good footwork. It is also versatile and can slide in the center if necessary. Noah will arrive with Jake Gordon whom he knows well having played several international matches alongside him. This should also facilitate their integration."

Lolesio began his rugby journey in the Queensland region before making his way to Canberra in 2018, where he played for the Vikings in the national championship.

His impressive performances caught the attention of the Brumbies, with whom he went on to compete in Super Rugby. In 2020, he was part of the Canberra franchise that secured the Australian Super Rugby title. Subsequently, Lolesio received a call-up from Wallabies coach Dave Rennie and represented his country in the Four Nations tournament.

Since then, the talented fly-half has amassed 20 caps with the Wallabies and has scored 134 points.