The Brumbies have confirmed their 36-player squad for the 2021 Super Rugby Season, with 28 of the club’s 2020 title squad returning.
The squad includes five Academy products who have been promoted to the Super Rugby squad for 2021 and three new recruits, including lock James Tucker from New Zealand.
26-year-old Tucker, a former Junior All Black, made his Super Rugby debut for the Chiefs in 2016 before stints in Europe and Japan and was part of the Auckland Blues squad in 2020.
Tucker joins outside back Reece Tapine and tighthead prop Archer Holz as the Brumbies’ new recruits.
The promoted Academy products include Canberra local Rory Scott, who is one of seven in the squad who grew up in the ACT.
The squad features plenty of representative experience with 14 members of the 2021 squad spending time with the Wallabies during this year’s Tri-Nations tournament, 11 of whom earned playing time.
There are plenty of returning stars for the Brumbies including James Slipper, Allan Alaalatoa, Scott Sio, Pete Samu and Folau Fainga’a in the forwards along with Nic White, Noah Lolesio, Tom Banks and Tom Wright in the backs.
The Brumbies pathways program has produced 19 of the Brumbies Super Rugby squad, while 19 of the group are also 23 years old or younger.
Brumbies head coach Dan McKellar said he was excited about the squad and was confident there is still improvement left in the defending champions.
“We’re excited about the makeup of our squad for next season,” said McKellar.
“With the age profile of the group, the number of Wallabies we had this year and the fact that the majority of the guys are returning from last season, we’re in a good place to give ourselves a chance to compete again next (sic) year.
“The exciting thing for the coaching staff and I is that after a good season last year, there is still a lot of improving we can do, both for the boys individually but as a collective as well.
“We’re proud of what we achieved last season, particularly through the adversity we faced but we have to look forward now, and with this group, our only goal is to just get better and better every day.”
Full 2021 Plus500 Brumbies Super Rugby Squad
Hookers
Folau Fainga’a (Western District Lions)
Lachlan Lonergan (Tuggeranong Vikings)
Connal McInerney (Canberra Royals)
Billy Pollard (Uni-Norths Owls)
Props
Allan Alaalatoa (Uni-Norths Owls)
Archer Holz (Canberra Royals)
Harry Lloyd (Western District Lions)
Tom Ross (Gungahlin Eagles)
Scott Sio (Tuggeranong Vikings)
James Slipper (Queanbeyan Whites)
Locks
Tom Hooper (Tuggeranong Vikings)
Nick Frost (Queanbeyan Whites)
Caderyn Neville (Uni-Norths Owls)
Darcy Swain (Tuggeranong Vikings)
James Tucker (Uni-Norths Owls)
Backrows
Jahrome Brown (Gungahlin Eagles)
Tom Cusack (Canberra Royals)
Luke Reimer (Western District Lions)
Pete Samu (Gungahlin Eagles)
Rory Scott (Canberra Royals)
Rob Valetini (Western District Lions)
Scrumhalf
Lachie Albert (Western District Lions)
Issak Fines (Gungahlin Eagles)
Ryan Lonergan (Tuggeranong Vikings)
Nic White (Queanbeyan Whites)
Flyhalf
Bayley Kuenzle (Canberra Royals)
Noah Lolesio (Tuggeranong Vikings)
Reesjan Pasitoa (Western District Lions)
Midfield/Outside backs
Tom Banks (Uni-Norths Owls)
Mack Hansen (Gungahlin Eagles)
Len Ikitau (Tuggeranong Vikings)
Solomone Kata (Gungahlin Eagles)
Andy Muirhead (Canberra Royals)
Irae Simone (Uni-Norths Owls)
Reece Tapine (Queanbeyan Whites)
Tom Wright (Western District Lions)
