Gerrard to stay a Brumby

Gerrard to stay a Brumby
Peter Fitzgerald
The Canberra Times

ACT Brumbies winger Mark Gerrard has agreed to terms to remain at the club until 2010.

The Canberra Times understands the 24-year-old and his manager met with Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan yesterday to finalise the deal.

The Brumbies, in conjunction with the ARU, will announce the signing coup next week.

Gerrard initially threatened to continue his career overseas when his current contract expired at season's end.

The financial lure from the ARU to remain in Australia was below what he had hoped for but a revised offer from the board while Gerrard was in South Africa with his teammates last month convinced him to stay.

His decision to re-sign comes less than a week after the Brumbies secured the services of NSW Waratahs back-up scrumhalf Josh Holmes for next season.

Holmes will fight to become incumbent No9 George Gregan's replacement when the veteran heads to French club Toulon to finish his career.

The Brumbies' re-signing fortune could continue into next week when winger Clyde Rathbone and lock Mark Chisholm decide where their futures lie.