Greg Growden | June 3, 2009 - 1:17PM

Rocky Elsom this morning officially agreed to return to Australian Rugby,
signing a two year deal with the Wallabies and the ACT Brumbies.

Elsom, who is playing for the Barbarians against the Wallabies at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday night, is expected to rejoin the Australian squad following the weekend's game, and is scheduled to be
available for next week's Test against Italy in Canberra.

The world-class backrower, after excelling for Leinster in their successful
Heineken Cup campaign, opted against rejoining the Waratahs, or heading to the Queensland Reds, and instead will head to Canberra next season.

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said Australian Rugby was "pleased to have him back. We're pleased he's wanted to come back."

"Any decision on Rocky's involvement will be made after Saturday night because we have a game to prepare for against the Barbarians,'' Deans
said.




http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...708493619.html

---------- Post added at 12:54 ---------- Previous post was at 12:18 ----------

Elsom signs with CA Brumbies, ARU

Wednesday, 3 June 2009
a Mudskipper Propaganda Initiative


Wallabies flanker Rocky Elsom has returned to Australian rugby and signed with the CA Brumbies and the Australian Rugby Union until 2011.

The former Waratahs back rower has spent the past nine months playing for Irish club, Leinster, in Europe’s Magners League. Elsom played 21 matches for the Dublin-based side, including a man-of-the-match performance in their 19-16 Heineken Cup final win over Leicester at Murrayfield last week.

Prior to heading to the UK, the 26-year-old was a key member of the Waratahs, playing 66 Investec Super 14 matches between 2003 and 2008. The tear-away flanker started for NSW in their 2005 and 2008 Investec Super 14 final appearances as well as claiming the 2007 Matthew Burke Cup for Waratahs Players’ Player.

Elsom, who returned to Australia this week to represent the Barbarians against the Wallabies on Saturday night in Sydney, says he’s keen to return to the Investec Super 14 with the CA Brumbies.

“I’m very happy to be joining the Brumbies in 2010 and I look forward to mounting a challenge for the Super 14 title,” he said.

The former Nudgee College student represented the Australian Schoolboys in 2000 before joining the Canterbury Bulldogs for two seasons in the National Rugby League, winning a Jersey Flegg premiership in 2001.

Elsom made his Super Rugby debut against the Blues in 2003 and went on to score a try on debut for the Wallabies against Samoa in Sydney two years later. He was a member of the Wallabies’ 2007 Rugby World Cup squad and scored a hat-trick of tries against Japan in their first match in Lyon, France.

Elsom said regaining his place in the Australian side was a factor behind his return to Australia.

“We made progress last year with the Wallabies and there are exciting challenges ahead in 2009,” he said.

CA Brumbies Head Coach Andy Friend says Elsom returns to Australia having enhanced his global reputation in the Northern Hemisphere.

“Rocky has played an integral role in any of his sides’ success over the past five years, whether it be the Waratahs, the Wallabies or Leinster,” he said. “He’s a very impressive athlete and he’s undoubtedly been the form player in Europe this season.

“He’s an immense physical presence on the field, he’s got incredible brute strength, he’s extremely agile for a big man and there aren’t too many players in world rugby who’d like to see Rocky Elsom charging at them. He consistently has an incredibly high work rate and offers some utility value across the back row.

“We’re very pleased to have Rocky joining us for 2010 and we’re excited to see what he will do in Brumbies colours.”

Brumbies Rugby CEO Andrew Fagan says Elsom’s inclusion enhances the CA Brumbies’ forward pack’s credentials for 2010.

“We’re very pleased to have Rocky joining the CA Brumbies for 2010 and 2011,” he said. “We prided ourselves on having the strongest Australian forward pack in 2009 and the addition of Rocky will only add to that claim from next season.

“Rocky will join players like Stephen Hoiles and George Smith in an all-Wallaby back row, combining with the likes of Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander and Mark Chisholm in what should be a very formidable scrum. With the retention of Guy Shepherdson and Peter Kimlin and with the addition of Matt Giteau and Josh Valentine to an already impressive backline, all is heading in the right direction for 2010.”

ARU Managing Director and CEO John O’Neill says Elsom is among the elite players in world rugby.

“Let no one try to diminish the importance of this deal,” he said. “When we let Rocky go last year there were personal circumstances that he raised which we took into consideration. We did not give him a sabbatical. What we did do was act in his best interests and let him go to Ireland early.

“Rocky has repaid that goodwill by returning when he suggested he might.”



Rocky Elsom
Position: Flanker
Physical: 1.97m, 106kg
Age: 14.02.1983, Melbourne
Super 14 Caps: 66
Super 14 Points: 50 (10t)
Super 14 Debut: 2003 v Blues, Sydney
Test Caps: 40
Test Points: 35 (7t)
Test Debut: 2005 v Samoa, Sydney

http://www.brumbies.com.au/act.rugby/page/56183