You could be forgiven for thinking you were in the Sunshine State when looking at our 2025 Brumbies squad.
But, no, the 13 players who have made the trip south from Queensland are living proof of the draw of the famous Canberran club. Some have come to Canberra to be part of the Academy, whereas others were simply looking for a fresh start. Regardless of how they got here, these 13 Queenslanders have made the capital their home, and will be looking to add insult to injury against the club who let them slip through the cracks.
Hudson Creighton
With a lone cap for the Reds, Creighton’s journey stands as unique on this list. That Super Rugby debut came in Wellington against the Hurricanes back in 2021. Creighton made the trip down south to the Brumbies ahead of the 2022 season. A versatile back – who is best suited to the centres – Creighton has proved a smart pick-up for the Canberrans. His stints with Otago in the NPC have further rounded his game, with the 25-year-old set to face his old side this Saturday night.
David Feliuai
There aren’t many stories as interesting as David Feliuai’s. In a journey that has taken him from trialling for the NFL in Fiji, to playing rugby in Transylvania, there is one notable omission. Despite growing up in Brisbane, Feliuai is another example of a player overlooked by the Reds. Upon his return from Romania, the centre was snapped up by the Rebels, where he showcased his damaging strength and match awareness. With the Victorians forced to leave the competition, the Brumbies were quick to pounce on the free agent. Since joining the club, Feliuai’s stock continues to grow as one of the recruits of the season.
Feao Fotuaika
Feao Fotuaika arrived at the Brumbies with a wealth of experience, a large portion of which was earned at the Queensland Reds. The Tongan prop – who has six international caps to his name – was born in Gibson, New Zealand, but crossed the Tasman for his schoolboy career. Fotuaika was selected in the Australian Schoolboys side whilst at St Francis College. Stints in the NRC for both Brisbane City and Queensland Country saw him picked up by the Reds in 2019. His Reds career began with a debut try, before receiving the call-up to represent Tonga. Fotuaika took up an opportunity with French club Lyon in 2023, before the Brumbies brought him back home to Australia before the 2025 season.
Lington Ieli
Lington Ieli is a Brisbane Boys product who has since represented the Brumbies from the U19 level. A damaging front rower, Ieli is another junior Wallaby, meaning he is no stranger to the big stage. At only 20 years of age, Lington represents a new generation of Brumbies looking to carry on the storied success of the club. He made his Super Rugby debut in the club’s famous Round 1 victory in Suva.
Len Ikitau
Talk about regrets. The Queensland Reds may still have not forgiven themselves for passing on Len Ikitau. As the Test centre recounts, his name was put forward to the Reds by his manager, only to find out that “they didn’t really know who I was”. Lured down to Canberra by good mate Darcy Swain, Ikitau found a new home at the Tuggeranong Vikings. A John I Dent premiership, as well as experience with junior Wallabies, was enough for Ikitau to secure a spot in the Brumbies 2019 squad. The rest is history. Ikitau has become one of the first picked in both the Brumbies and Wallabies set-ups. No player more aptly fits the description of ‘the one that got away’.
Noah Lolesio
The current Wallabies fly-half left the Gold Coast in pursuit of a professional career as a teenager. Having represented Australia at U20 level, Lolesio was deemed the perfect fit for a club in need of a composed playmaker. It reaped rewards, as he steered the Brumbies to victory in the 2020 Super Rugby AU final with a flawless man of the match performance. It wasn’t long before Lolesio was plying his trade in Wallaby gold, where he has since become a mainstay of the team. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that this has all come before the age of 25. Despite signing for Japan from next season, the future remains bright for Lolesio in Australian rugby.
Declan Meredith
Declan Meredith had to travel further south than most to join the Brumbies in 2019. Hailing from Cairns in far-north Queensland, Meredith joined the Brumbies on an Elite Development contract as a 19-year-old. During a dominant season for Wests – earning the coveted MacDougall medal – Meredith earned his Super Rugby debut, coming against the Crusaders in 2023. Through Noah Lolesio’s injury struggles, Meredith has stepped up in season 2025, with mature, controlled performances in the 10 jersey. He recently penned a two-year contract extension, which will see him remain with the club until the end of 2027.
Andy Muirhead
Muirhead originally played for Souths Rugby Club in Queensland’s Premier Rugby competition. His journey continued by making the Brisbane City side, though he felt as though his best opportunities were outside his home state. Muirhead, now 31, arrived at the Brumbies in 2017, in a season in which he worked part-time as a delivery driver. Having made an impression in training, he was awarded his debut against the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Now, eight years on from that day, the has won over 100 caps for the Brumbies – a remarkable achievement for a guy who arrived in Canberra as one last roll of the dice.
Lachie Shaw
Lachie Shaw is a Queenslander through and through. That hasn’t stopped us at the Brumbies, however, from adopting him as one of our own. Shaw was born in Brisbane where he played for Brisbane Boys College, and later Queensland University. As seems to be the common theme, Shaw moved down to Canberra for an opportunity in the fabled Brumbies Academy. Standing at an imposing 200cm tall, Shaw made his debut against the Western Force in 2024. Shaw played his first match against the Reds earlier this season, which resulted in a Brumbies victory in Brisbane.
James Slipper
James Slipper’s rugby career is nothing short of incredible. Now the most-capped Wallaby in the history of Test rugby, Slipper has become a stalwart of the ACT Brumbies. The veteran prop represented the Queensland Reds for nine seasons, before injury and personal issues put his career on hold. Few would have predicted the longevity Slipper has displayed since his fresh start at the Brumbies in 2019. It seems at times that every second game is a milestone for the front-rower, who has marked himself as a true legend of Australian rugby. In a career filled with highlights, it is too difficult to single any out as the most enjoyable. Brumbies fans, however, may well feel as though his role in the side’s 2020 Grand Final – against none other than his old club – takes the cake at Super Rugby level.
Tuiana Taii Tualima
Another to have represented the Reds in Super Rugby, Taii Tualima joined the Brumbies ahead of season 2025. Ironically, Taii Tualima was on the receiving end of the Brumbies 2020 Super Rugby AU grand final victory. As the old adage goes… if you can’t beat them, join them. ‘Triple T’ has represented Australian Schoolboys, as well as attending the Youth Commonwealth Games. He arrived at the Brumbies courtesy of the Melbourne Rebels, where he proved instrumental to their forward pack. Despite a disrupted season to date, excitement is sky-high for the Auckland-born back-rower here in the nation’s capital.
Rhys van Nek
Rhys van Nek was a Rockhampton product who attended Bremer State High School. His schoolboy rugby caught the attention of the Reds, who selected the prop in their academy. His breakthrough came in 2019 when he earned an Australian U20s call-up. It wasn’t the Brumbies who pounced first, however. The Melbourne Rebels picked up the hardworking prop, where he made his Super Rugby debut in 2021. His opposition? None other than the Queensland Reds in his hometown of Brisbane. Having seen his skills firsthand, the Brumbies decided to bring van Nek to the capital in 2023. Since arriving in Canberra, van Nek has flourished, even earning a call-up for the Australia A tour of Europe in 2024.
Harry Vella
Harry Vella’s career continues a familiar theme here in Canberra. A star at schoolboy level, Vella arrived in Canberra to be a part of the Brumbies pathway program. Vella represented Australia at under 18 level for two consecutive years, as well as being selected for the Junior Wallabies squads of 2020 and 2021. A Queensland product, Vella attended the rugby nursery of St Joseph’s Nudgee College while at school. He earned his Super Rugby debut off the back of strong form in the John I Dent Cup for Royals. That match came last year against Moana Pasifika, in which the Brumbies enjoyed a 60-21 victory at home.
