Tane Edmed opens up on ‘big shoes to fill’ at Brumbies this season

Wallabies fly-half Tane Edmed understands there are “reasonably big shoes to fill” at the ACT Brumbies this season, following the departure of long-term starter Noah Lolesio, who left the club after the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific campaign.

Lolesio and Tom Hooper both had a chance to say goodbye to Brumbies supporters at Canberra’s GIO Stadium after eliminating the Hurricanes 35-28 in last season’s quarter-finals. The Brumbies were knocked out of the title race a week later 37-17 by the Chiefs in Hamilton.

There are some big-name changes to the Brumbies this season, with John Eales Medal winner Len Ikitau joining Exeter Chiefs as part of a sabbatical deal. Tom Wright is also set to miss most of the Super Rugby season after suffering an ACL injury during last year’s Rugby Championship.

It seems like the start of a new era for the Brumbies, who will have a new playmaker steering the team around the park. Edmed is a big-name recruit from the NSW Waratahs, and Declan Meredith showed signs of promise in the matchday team last season.

Lolesio holds a special place in Brumbies history after guiding the team to a drought-breaking Super Rugby AU title in 2020, but Edmed isn’t daunted by the potential opportunity to follow in the footsteps of a fan favourite.

“Noah and me had a fair bit to do with each other in the Wallabies stuff and we know each other quite well. He obviously did a fantastic job here,” Edmed told reporters.

“It’s reasonably big shoes to fill but I don’t think I won’t be able to do it. I’m not going to try and copy Noah in terms of the way he played the game, I’m going to try and bring my own elements to it.

“But at the same time, there needs to be a little bit of consistency in that 10 jersey in terms of how we want to play and obviously I’m going to try and get up to speed with that.”

Edmed has made 11 appearances for the Wallabies since earning a call-up ahead of the team’s 2024 Spring Tour. The first five-eighth had impressed with North Harbour during New Zealand’s NPC which led to Wallaby honours.

The 25-year-old started a handful of matches in 2025, including a highly-anticipated Bledisloe Cup clash with the All Blacks in Perth. Coach Joe Schmidt named the fly-half in the run-on side during a few Spring Tour matches late last year as well.

Edmed played more than 50 matches for the Waratahs, which included five starts in 12 appearances last season. Coach Dan McKellar started Edmed in rounds one and three before selecting Lawson Creighton and later Jack Bowen in the First XV.

“It’s been a little bit of an emotional rollercoaster and probably too much so at times,” Edmed reflected.

“I think that’s been a big part of the reason why I’ve wanted to come down here is just try and get a little bit of consistency and a nice fresh start and it’s definitely something that I’m looking forward to settling in.

“But at the same time, I think the last few years, I can’t say that I’ve really probably deserved to be starting all the time. As the Waratahs, when we didn’t go well, I probably wasn’t playing my best footy either.

“There are no bitter feelings or hard feeling towards the Tahs at all, it’s a business at the end of the day and I’m just glad I can be here and start fresh.”