Wallabies great Matt Giteau backflips on retirement to join surprising new club
Legendary Wallabies playmaker Matt Giteau has backflipped on his initial plans to retire from professional rugby by signing with San Diego Legion for the 2024 Major League Rugby season.
Giteau’s last taste of professional rugby came in the North American competition – which now only includes American sides after Toronto Arrows ceased operations – with the LA Giltinis.
The 41-year-old won an MLR championship alongside Australian great Adam Ashley-Cooper and another capped Wallaby in Dave Dennis – who had both helped the Waratahs win a Super Rugby title in 2014.
Matt Giteau making the move to SD ✍️✍️🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/coDtI4c7GB
— San Diego Legion Rugby (@SDLegion) December 20, 2023
With the Legion looking to go a couple better next season after bowing out in the Conference finals in July, the San Diego franchise has shown a positive sign of intent by signing Giteau.
“We are over the moon to secure the services of Matt for the upcoming season,” Head coach an Director of Rugby, Danny Lee, said in a statement.
“To have a highly experienced, international player of Matt’s calibre join the Legion in something very exciting.
“He is a world-class player that will bring an incredible wealth of knowledge, competitive attitude and drive to succeed with him that will no doubt spread throughout the squad.
“We can’t wait to get the former MLR winner onboard.”
Matt Giteau’s rugby CV practically speaks for itself. Having played at three Rugby World Cups, Giteau is widely considered one of the greatest Wallabies of all time.
Giteau played 103 Test matches in Wallaby gold and scored an incredible 698 against the world’s best teams.
The playmaker has also starred at club level both in Australia and at various sides around the world.
After helping the Brumbies win two Super Rugby titles in 2001 and 2004, Giteau went on to win three European titles with French heavyweights Toulon.
Giteau also played for the Western Force in Australia, Tokyo Sungoliath in Japan, and returned to the ACT Brumbies for a second stint ahead of the 2010 season.
But this next chapter with the San Diego Legion is sure to pique the interest of rugby fans around the world.
“Really excited to be joining San Diego Legion,” Giteau said in a video on the Legion’s social media pages. “Our proud club with some great fans and a great city.
“Can’t wait to get over there and rip in.”
Comments on RugbyPass
What a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
2 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
40 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
40 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
2 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to comments