Rugby Australia ward off NRL offers to secure generational teenage talent long-term

Treyvon Pritchard will remain in rugby after the “generational talent” knocked back huge NRL interest to instead pursue his Wallabies dreams.

The Queensland Reds back, still just 19 and off contract after next Super Rugby Pacific season, had been courted heavily by the NRL’s Sydney Roosters and newcomers PNG.

But, while the Chiefs were trumpeting the signing of code-hopper Zac Lomax over the weekend, it’s understood Pritchard was knocking back NRL offers and agreeing to a long-term deal with Rugby Australia.

His retention, reportedly until at least 2031, is a massive win for Australian rugby ahead of next year’s home World Cup.

Pritchard faces months on the sideline with a broken ankle suffered at the recent under-20s world championships but could still come into the Wallabies frame as a development player on the end-of-year tour of Europe.

The injury was suffered in an ugly hip-drop tackle that the Reds have since campaigned hard to have banned in re-worded World Rugby laws.

Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh considers Pritchard capable of featuring at the Los Angeles Olympics in rugby sevens.

“These are all opportunities rugby can offer that other sports can’t,” Waugh told AAP last week.

“He’s a generational talent, we’re very keen to secure him in our game for as long as possible.”

The coup follows the Reds’ signing of promising 16-year-old lock Kaiya Tafea, who stands at 204cm and weighs 125kg, on a three-year development deal last week.