ACT BRUMBIES ANNOUNCE 36-PLAYER SQUAD FOR 2025 SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC

The Safeguard Global ACT Brumbies have today confirmed their squad for 2025 Super Rugby Pacific as the club looks to build on last season’s semi-final appearance.

Importantly, the Brumbies have retained 30 of last season’s playing group, with a blend of both experience and young talent. Prop Allan Alaalatoa, who has played 124 matches for the club, remains as captain for a sixth consecutive season.

The 2025 squad includes seven of the Wallabies team that defeated England 42-37 in a famous victory at Twickenham at the weekend - Nick Frost, Rob Valetini, Noah Lolesio, Len Ikitau, Tom Wright, Alaalatoa and James Slipper. 

All seven made invaluable contributions, with Wright scoring his seventh Test try, Lolesio kicking 13 points from the tee and Ikitau providing a mesmerising, no-look assist for Max Jorgensen’s match-winning score. Meanwhile Valetini recently became only the third player to win back-to-back John Eales Medals as 2024 Wallabies Player of the Year at the Rugby Australia Awards.

Alongside the group from last season, there will be six new faces for the Brumbies in 2025, with two new signings and four Academy graduates promoted from the Elite Development squad. Versatile forward Tuaina Tualima and centre David Feliuai both join from the Melbourne Rebels, while Kadin Pritchard, Shane Wilcox, Lachlan Hooper and Tevita Alatini make the step up from the Elite Development Squad.

ACT Brumbies head coach Stephen Larkham is very happy with the make-up of his squad and is looking forward to the 2025 campaign.

“We’re delighted with our squad for next year’s Super Rugby Pacific. To maintain the bulk of our group from last season is pleasing and keeps a real sense of continuity around the club,” Larkham said.

“We’re excited to see what all the new additions can bring to the team in 2025. The two guys from Melbourne have given a great account of themselves since coming in for pre-season last week and are going to prove invaluable to us. We’re particularly looking forward to seeing the young guys getting some game time for the first team. The Elite Development Squad here keeps producing talent year after year and it’s incredibly satisfying to see those boys come through the system and pull on a Brumbies shirt.

“It’s been a terrific atmosphere around the place since pre-season began. We’ll be keeping the ball rolling throughout the rest of the year and into 2025 ahead of the first game against Fijian Drua in Suva in February.”

Tualima and Feliuai both joined up for the start of pre-season training at Brumbies HQ last Monday ahead of next year’s Super Rugby Pacific campaign.

Tualima, 27, can play at lock or across the backrow and has a total of 34 Super Rugby Pacific appearances to his name for the Queensland Reds and more recently the Rebels. A strong ball carrier with the ability to offload in contact, Tualima came through the ranks at Brisbane State High School and featured for the Queensland and Australian Schoolboys representative sides in his youth.

Meanwhile Feliuai, also 27, made his Super Rugby Pacific debut only last year for the Rebels in a 34-27 victory against the NSW Waratahs, following a three-year stint playing in Romania for Baia Mare. Known for his strong ball carries and offloading ability, Feliuai’s breakout performances last season were rewarded with selection for the Wallabies squad against Wales and Georgia in July.

In a fantastic showcase of the Brumbies pathways, prop Alatini, backrower (Lachlan) Hooper and backs Pritchard and Wilcox all make the step up to the men’s first team from the Elite Development Squad.

Outside back Wilcox, 19, recently captained the ACT Brumbies U19s side to back-to-back Super Rugby U19s Championships. Earlier in the year, he appeared for the Australian U20s side in South Africa for the World Rugby U20 Championships in South Africa in June.

Pritchard, 20, enjoyed a strong 2024 season with standout performances for Brumbies Runners and the Gungahlin Eagles Colts side before also joining the Australian U20s side in South Africa.

2023’s U19s Brumbies captain Hooper, 20, also boasts a strong history in the Australian U20s. Hooper started for the national side last year in all five World Rugby U20 Championship outings as a 19-year-old, though unfortunately he missed this year’s campaign due to injury.

Rounding out the four graduates is another Australian U20s representative in 2024 in Alatini, also 20. Part of the Elite Development Squad throughout the year, the tighthead prop has been a consistent force at Brumbies training sessions, earning his place in the top squad. 

ACT Brumbies first fixture in the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific competition is in Suva, Fiji on Saturday 15th February against Fijian Drua before returning home to the GIO Stadium against Western Force on Saturday 22nd February.