Wallaby hopeful Nic Dolly has extended his deal with the Western Force until the end of 2028.
The 25-year-old played one Test for England in 2021 but now has Wallabies ambitions after joining the Force from English Premiership Rugby outfit Leicester Tigers in the off-season.
Dolly has impressed his club management after a strong opening month to the Super Rugby Pacific season, including 34 tackles, 11 carries and a try.
“From when he arrived and came on that South Africa tour, we knew he was someone we wanted to keep at the club for a long time to build that depth and cohesion,” Force general manager of recruitment Chris Goodman said.
“He’s played with a lot of boys before, so he’s familiar with the group and is a good influence within that.
“Nic brings plenty of excellent facets, namely the accuracy of his throw, his physicality around the field and his professionalism off the field. He leads by example in that space.
“There’s really good competition between him, Tom (Horton) and BPA (Brandon Paenga-Amosa) at hooker. We’ve got a good mixture of players there, who all compliment each other and compete really well.”
Nic Dolly. Photo: Western Force
Dolly’s re-signing follows on from his housemate Nick Champion de Crespigny’s contract extension announced last week, while captain Jeremy Williams re-committed last month.
“What they’re trying to build over here is long-term success and you can only have that with a good strong squad with depth,” Dolly said.
“With the signings they’re making, I wanted to stay long term.
“That’s one of many things, Perth is a beautiful spot, the boys here are great and the coaching staff and playing group are really ambitious. That’s definitely what’s kept me here and what I want to achieve over the next three-four years.”
Sydney-born Dolly said the competition for a role alongside Horton and Paenga-Amosa was pushing him to be better.
“The playing group is really tight, and everyone wants everyone else to do well,” said Dolly, who was rotated out of last week’s game.
“I look at my position, it’s probably one of the stronger positions within the squad in terms of depth. We push each other but we also want that spot as well.
“I think that’s really healthy to have in the group. The more we see that throughout every position, the better we’ll get.”
Meanwhile, All Black Ruben Love has recommitted to the Hurricanes and NZ Rugby through to the end of 2028.
Love, 23, debuted for the All Blacks in 2024 and scored two tries against Japan.
“I’m very honoured to re-sign my contract with this club. I have great love for this team, and it is truly an honour to represent my people and play on the land where I grew up,” SAID lOVE.
Head Coach Clark Laidlaw added: “Super excited to have Ruben Love resigning with us. He’s an example of local talent, through school and then onto Wellington Rugby. He had a tricky start at the beginning of his professional career with injuries but as we saw last year, when has a run at games he has great quality in his performance.”
“He’s shown real maturity after returning from his time in the All Blacks and he has potential to become a real leader and outstanding player for the future. He is everything we want in a Hurricane, an unbelievable professional and sets a high standard for himself and others around him.”
