Wallaby centre signs with London Irish

London Irish has today announced the signing of Curtis Rona into the club’s squad for the 2019/20 season.

Rona, a 26-year-old centre, made his name with NRL clubs North Queensland Cowboys and Canterbury Bulldogs before switching codes to join Western Force in 2016, where his performances were rewarded with a call-up into the 2017 Australian national squad. A debut came against New Zealand and included a try, and in 2018 he crossed the country to sign for New South Wales Waratahs, spurning a number of offers from the NRL and overseas to do so.

Last year Rona played 15 times for the Waratahs on their journey to the semi-finals, scoring seven times. He is looking forward to joining London Irish once his contractual commitments in Australia have finished.

“Playing in England will be a challenge but I know that everything is in place for London Irish to succeed - great coaches and players, world class training facilities, and a strong desire to win,” he said. “The support is legendary and the London move makes it the right time to join the club.”

At 6ft 4in and 102kgs Rona’s physical presence is undeniable, but London Irish Director of Rugby Declan Kidney says that he will bring plenty more to the club’s backline next season.

“Curtis has not been playing rugby union for a long time but has already shown that he has the talent to be a very good player,” he said. “He has power, pace and plenty of ability with ball in hand, and will complement the other players we have in the squad here at London Irish.”

Tickets for London Irish's home games are available from ticketing.londonirish.net or by calling 0118 968 1016.