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Wallabies lock Rob Simmons has swapped the Reds for the Waratahs on a two-year deal, it was announced on Thursday.
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Simmons has committed to the Waratahs and Australian Rugby Union (ARU) until the end of 2019.
The 28-year-old Australia international made 114 appearances for the Reds in Queensland, where he won the Super Rugby title in 2011.
“I’m really looking forward to joining the lads in Sydney, they have a great team with a balance of experience and some very good young players and some big goals to achieve in Super Rugby,” Simmons – a 73-cap Test veteran – said.
“Queensland has been great to me but I’m looking forward to doing whatever I can to take the Tahs to where they want to be. Hopefully I can add some experience to the side, and we can push for finals next year.
“I definitely wanted to stay in Australian Rugby. I love playing for the Wallabies and hopefully I’ll have another chance to pull on the gold jersey next weekend against South Africa.”
SIGNED: Rob Simmons puts pen to paper to commit to the Tahs for two years!
Wave him in, NSW! 👋👋https://t.co/xbNchWdTKh | 📷 Getty Images pic.twitter.com/BSAp0749HS
— NSW Waratahs (@NSWWaratahs) August 31, 2017
Waratahs head coach Daryl Gibson added: “What stood out was that even with 73 Test caps to his credit, Rob is still hungry to play at the highest possible level and his determination to get there will drive our whole pack forward.
“Our younger locks like Ryan McCauley and Tom Staniforth will benefit from having Rob working with them and teaching them from his years of experience as a Test player.
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“We’re still a young team and what Rob will bring is that edge that comes from his 100 plus Super Rugby caps and his vast Test experience. Rob adds a great dimension to our lineout and a real strength in our scrums.”
