Australian rugby has secured one of its brightest prospects with Torres Strait speedster Wallace Charlie signing a multi-year deal with the Western Force and Aussie Sevens.
Charlie, 19, starred in Australia's 2024 Global Youth Sevens title before lighting up the SVNS world on debut in May's Los Angeles decider.
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The Darnley Island product has since starred for the Western Force at Super Rugby Men's U19 level, scoring a hat-trick against Queensland in Round 3 and leading the tournament for carry metres (467m) and kick return metres (169m).
On Tuesday, Rugby Australia confirmed Charlie had put pen to paper on a three-year deal that will see him extend his Aussie Sevens tenure in 2026 before joining the Force’s Super Rugby Pacific squad for the 2027 and 2028 seasons.
“Obviously it’s an honour and privilege to wear the gold jersey, hopefully I can do it again to represent my family and people of the Torres Strait," Wallace said in a statement.
“I was only 18 when I first went over to LA which was a surreal experience, especially being an Indigenous guy, with Maurice Longbottom in the squad who is someone I look up to. I’m really excited to rip in with them for the next circuit.
“With a long-term view, I’ll definitely better my skills under the coaching of Liam Barry and Frase (Shannon Fraser) and come back to the Force and continue to grow and expand on how I play my rugby.”
In a statement, Force head coach Simon Cron described Wallace as an "exciting prospect".
“He’s an amazing talent. He’s got great feet, speed, skill and a natural feel for the game," Cron said.
“He’s been presented with an opportunity to go to the Australia Sevens, which will now be part of his pathway development.”
