Western Force sign Nic White

Mon, May 8, 2023, 11:58 PM
Nathan Williamson
by Nathan Williamson
A great achievement for scrumhalf Nic White as he brought up his 50th test at the SCG.

The Western Force have confirmed the signing of Wallabies scrumhalf Nic White.

White signs a two-year deal that will keep him in Australian Rugby until after the British and Irish Lions tour in 2025.

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The 32-year-old has established himself as the premier half in the country after returning from stints in Europe in 2020.

He guided the ACT Brumbies to the Super Rugby AU title on his return before becoming a regular Wallabies starter under Dave Rennie, one of few to feature in 10+ Tests in 2021 and 2022.

"I couldn't be happier to be sticking around in Australian Rugby," White said in a statement.

"There's plenty to look forward to with the Rugby World Cup later this year and I've made no secret of my desire to be involved in the British and Irish Lions Tour in 2025.

"I'd like to thank everyone at the Brumbies and their supporters for the past four years. It's a really special club and I'll be doing everything I can to make this year a successful one.

"At the same time, the opportunity to join the Western Force is something that really appealed to me and my family and we're looking forward to getting over there next year."

Western Force coach Simon Cron was delighted to get White's signature.

"Nic is a great addition to the team," he said. "When we look at our team and the key jigsaw pieces for us to be successful, we look at recruitment and retention and what the player makeup looks like. Nic adds an enormous amount of experience.

"He is a winner, he is a brilliant leader and game manager. One of the things that excited me about Nic is that he fights until the last minute.

"One of the biggest areas we can grow in is our leadership groups. We have a number of emerging leaders here and the key thing for us is to give them role models to learn from, Nic will be one of these.

"We are really excited, Nic comes with his wife Melissa and his boys, Sonny, Leo and Vincent, and we look forward to welcoming them to Perth.

"When the management here signed, we all agreed that we must grow the game here in Western Australia. We need to do as much as possible to help the next stage of players, coaches, and referees. Plenty of kids out there want to be the next Nic White, and the best way to foster this is to meet him and see him in action."

"Nic is a world class nine and it's positive to have him re-sign with Australian Rugby," Wallabies counterpart Eddie Jones added.

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