Palu signs with Waratahs

Sun, Jan 10, 2016, 11:00 PM
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by LIVE

Wallabies backrower Wycliff Palu has signed for another season with the NSW Waratahs.

The NSW franchise announced their final Super Rugby squad on Monday, with Palu and Matt Lucas additions to the side.

Palu has 121 caps for the Waratahs over a decade-long career but his time in Australian Rugby looked over after initially signing a deal in the Japan Top League.

The hamstring injury that ended his 2015 Rugby World Cup campaign prevented Palu from starting his Japanese stint with Toyota Verblitz and ultimately the veteran opted to stay in NSW for one more year.

The 33-year-old will be one of the most experienced players in the NSW squad this season after the departures of tighthead Sekope Kepu and outside centre Adam Ashley-Cooper, both of whom are plying their trade in Bordeaux.

Palu played his most recent Test for the Wallabies against Uruguay in the Rugby World Cup pool stage, before his hamstring forced an early exit from the game and the tournament.

At the time, it looked like the end of his international career but remaining in Super Rugby in 2016 means he will remain eligible for Test duty.

Palu has had an injury-interrupted career with the Wallabies and Waratahs but earned praise from teammates at both levels for his resilience and ability to play through numerous niggles during his time in Rugby.

The Waratahs play their first Super Rugby trial on February 6 in Wagga against the Brumbies, with their opening Super Rugby match against the Reds at Allianz Stadium three weeks later.

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