MELBOURNE :Australia flyhalf Noah Lolesio is leaving the ACT Brumbies at the end of the season to take up a club contract overseas in 2026, the Super Rugby Pacific team said on Friday.
The move will deplete Australia’s playmaker stocks further following Carter Gordon’s switch to rugby league in the wake of the Melbourne Rebels’ collapse last year.
“We’ve been advised by Noah that he’s taking up an offer overseas in 2026, we wish him all the best in the next stage of his rugby career and thank him for his contribution to the Brumbies,” Chief Executive Phil Thomson said in a statement.
The Brumbies did not disclose 29-test Lolesio’s destination but Australian media reported the 25-year-old was expected to confirm a contract with a Japanese club.
Lolesio could not be reached for comment by Reuters on Friday.
Lolesio was Joe Schmidt’s first-choice flyhalf in his first year in charge of the Wallabies but he may be less inclined to retain him in his squad for the upcoming British and Irish Lions series in July and remaining tests in 2025.
Schmidt has favoured players committed to Australian domestic rugby, overlooking overseas-based players for selection in his Wallabies squads.
