Top 14 giants sign 147kg 16-year-old from Australia

Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle have looked to the future by signing teenager Visesio Kite to their academy, according to various reports.

Australian outlet The Roar reported this week that the 16-year-old Australia U16 and Queensland representative had been cleared to make the move to join the two-time Investec Champions Cup winners, with BallCarrier Rugby reporting on Tuesday that he had secured the move.

This came after Kite’s father James wrote on Facebook: “It’s done son. You can chase your dreams now. Miss you my boy…… the clearance has arrived.”

While the transfer is yet to be confirmed by La Rochelle, he has already been added to the Ligue Nationale Rugby’s website.

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Standing at 2.04 metres and weighing 147kg, the plan appears to fashion Kite into a second-row despite currently being a tighthead prop. He would therefore be a natural replacement to compatriot Will Skelton in the engine room at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre.

This may be a move that the French national team have an eye on as well, as he may have been lined up as a potential French international should he stay in the country for five years to earn his residency.

France already boast a handful of players Kite’s size, including Emmanuel Meafou and Posolo Tuilagi in the second-row.

O’Gara’s La Rochelle are currently languishing in ninth place in the Top 14 ladder, but host Munster in the Investec Champions Cup round of 16 next month.

Though Kite will likely be eyed as a lock on the west coast of France, the club are set to lose tighthead Georges-Henri Colombe at the end of the season, who will join league leaders and current Top 14 and European champions Toulouse. Winger Teddy Thomas will also join Colombe in making the move to the Stade Ernest Wallon next year.