The NSW Waratahs have pulled off a major coup, signing promising Clermont lock Miles Amatosero for the 2024 season.
The 2.03m lock made the move almost instantly to France after finishing school at Waverley College, making his debut at 18 against Toulon in 2020.
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Amatosero went on to play 26 appearances for the club over the past three seasons, however, his heart always remained in Australia.
The prospect of playing for the Waratahs and Wallabies was enough to bring the 21-year-old back home to Sydney.
"Firstly, I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to return home to Australia and represent the Waratahs and also be closer to my family," Amatosero said in a statement. "When I left at a young age, it was hard to be away from them.
"My sister has had two kids now, and I haven't really been around for much of that, my brother turned 18, so I’m keen to get back with them and have them in the stands.”
“I’m excited about the prospect of living out my dream of playing for Australia is all I want. I've always said, 'Man, I wish one day I could be a Wallaby.’"
Amatosero's signing provides crucial size to the Waratahs pack, who lost Taleni Seu to Japan.
Waratahs head coach Darren Coleman has been impressed with Amatosero's character since discussions began, hailing his return as a 'significant milestone' for NSW Rugby.
“Miles is an exceptional talent, and his return to Australian rugby is a significant milestone for the NSW Waratahs," he explained.
"His size, physicality & athleticism at such a young age make him a valuable asset to our forward pack”.
“I’ve enjoyed getting to know Miles, he is very motivated to grow his game and push for higher honours, but first and foremost he needs to get home, work hard and force his way into our strong forward pack, then good things will come from this”.
