A top rugby league player has switched codes after signing a two-year deal with Rugby Australia and the Western Force.
NRL wing Zac Lomax has made the move to rugby union with immediate effect.
The 26-year-old enjoyed a successful stint in the NRL with St George Illawarra and the Parramatta Eels, earning a total of 133 caps, while also representing New South Wales in the State of Origin series and Australia.
Lomax had been linked with a move to the proposed breakaway rugby competition R360 after walking away from a three-year contract with the Eels last year. However, plans for the new league have reportedly been delayed until 2028, leaving the outside back weighing up other options.
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The Force are expected to use Lomax either in midfield or on the wing as he transitions into the 15-man game. He is set to link up with the squad when they return to Perth following their Super Rugby Pacific clash against the Hurricanes in Napier on Friday.
The Force have a bye the following week, meaning Lomax could make his Super Rugby debut when Simon Cron’s side host the Chiefs in Perth on 28 March.
The move could also open the door for a Wallabies call-up ahead of the 2027 World Cup on home soil.
“I’m incredibly excited and thankful to be joining the Western Force after reaching an agreement with Rugby Australia to make the switch to rugby union,” Lomax said.
“This is a huge opportunity and a challenge I’m really looking forward to embracing. Stepping into a new code will push me as a player and that’s something that genuinely motivates me.
“The chance to be part of what the Western Force are building and to test myself at the highest level of rugby union is something that really excites me. Like any player, the dream of one day representing the Wallabies on a truly international stage and potentially competing at a Rugby World Cup is a powerful motivation.”
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