Australian Rugby Union today announced Qantas Wallabies back, Digby Ioane, has re-signed with Australian Rugby and the Queensland Reds for a further three years.
The 26-year old had been considering a move to Japan, however decided to re-commit to the Qantas Wallabies and Reds for a further three-years.
Ioane, who featured in the Australian under 19 and under 21 sides, debuted for Queensland in 2005, before signing with the Western Force in their maiden season a year later.
Based in Perth for three years he made his Qantas Wallabies debut during his final season with the Western Australian franchise before re-joining the Reds at the start of 2008, where last year he played a significant role in helping to deliver the Red’s their maiden Super Rugby title.
While he has been part of the Qantas Wallabies since 2007, such has been the impact of injury on the Ioane’s career, that the opening Test in this year’s Castrol Edge Tri Nations was his first Tri Nations Test – despite having played Tests for Australia in each of the preceding four years.
Ioane celebrated his Castrol Edge Tri Nations debut with a try in the Wallabies’ 39-20 win over South Africa adding to his first Test try of the year, which came a week earlier against Samoa.
The hard running back showed his worth during Australia’s Rugby World Cup Pool C match against Italy when he posted his fourth Test try of the year, however was then ruled out for the rest of the pool games with a broken thumb.
Ioane is the 21st player to re-sign with Australian Rugby this year and joins fellow Queenslanders James Horwill, Ben Daley, Quade Cooper and James Slipper in re-committing to the Reds.
