The NSW Waratahs have signed Sevens star Dylan Pietsch on a two-year deal.
The 23-year-old has been a mainstay on the Sevens circuit since making his debut in 2017, featuring in every game of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
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Pietsch, who made his Shute Shield debut for Randwick as a 19-year-old, was excited to turn his focus to the 15-a-side format as he pushes for a spot in the back three.
“For me I’ve always wanted to play Super Rugby, it’s always been a big goal of mine,” Pietsch said in a statement.
“To be able to do it where I live and have a lot of mates currently playing was a major factor in me signing here and hopefully, I’ll get to fulfil a childhood dream of playing Super Rugby in a Waratahs jersey.”
“The challenge for me is being quicker in my decision making, in sevens you have a lot more time to read options in attack and defence, whereas in the 15-man game the field is more compressed, and you have to adjust quicker to limited space and smaller opportunities.
“I think wing is probably where I want to start off, I only moved to the backs last year so I want to knuckle down on the wing position and then hopefully I can move around after that.”
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Waratahs head coach Darren Coleman is looking forward to having Pietsch on his side, having got a first-hand account of his talent during his time at Gordon.
“I’ve been really impressed with his performances and the impact he made in the Shute Shield for Randwick in between his Sevens events,” Coleman added.
“He’s a fast, skilful ball runner with experience playing in big pressure matches and is a great addition to the team.
“I’m really looking forward to getting to know and work with Dylan.”
