Axed England midfielder Ben Te'o belatedly gets his chance to make it big in Japan
Ben Teâo has found himself another new club after being unveiled as a new season signing for the 2020 Super Rugby season.Â
Out of contract at Worcester last summer following a three-year stay at Sixways, the career of the 2017 Lions Test series midfielder was thrown into turmoil with his unexpected omission from Englandâs World Cup squad.Â
Teâo had been one of Eddie Jonesâ favourites since he switched into the Gallagher Premiership scene following two seasons at Irish province Leinster.Â
However, he fell out of favour with Jones followed an alleged altercation with Mike Brown at an England training camp in Treviso in late July.Â
Cut from Jonesâ plans for the finals in Japan, Teâo was quickly snapped up by Toulon, the French Top 14 club who had lost bulwark midfielder Mathieu Bastareaud.
(Continue reading below…)
That decision to move overseas made him unavailable to England under the RFU international selection policy.
However, Teâo is now set to belatedly make it to Japan after being unveiled as one of 14 foreign-born players in the Sunwolvesâ initial 15-man squad for the new Super Rugby season, a campaign that is potentially their last in the tournament.
#Sunwolves name 15 players for 2020 #SuperRugby season.
Former England international Ben Teâo and Georgia hooker Jaba Bregvadze top the list.
Waseda University captain Naoto Saito and Tenri University center Siosaia Fifita also included.#rugbyjp pic.twitter.com/j42S9SfS2T
— Rich Freeman (@FreemanrugbyJPN) November 26, 2019
Other overseas inclusions by the Japanese franchise include Australian No8 Jake Schatz, who has played nearly 100 times in Super Rugby, and Georgian hooker Jaba Bregvadze.
WATCH: RugbyPass looks back on some of our favourite moments with the fans at the 2019Â World Cup in Japan