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Western Force sign ‘explosive’ New Zealand-born Australia U20s centre

Divad Palu of Australia is tackled during The Rugby Championship U20 Round 2 match between Australia and South Africa at Sunshine Coast Stadium on May 07, 2024 in Sunshine Coast, Australia. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

The Western Force have added an exciting talent to their ranks for next year’s Super Rugby Pacific season with New Zealand-born, Melbourne-raised Australia U20s centre Divad Palu inking a deal with the club.

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Palu, 20, has decided to move out west after formerly being part of the Melbourne Rebels’ squad last season. The midfielder is a powerful prospect who predominantly plays at 12 but wore the No. 13 jumper in a representative match this year.

In the inaugural U20 Rugby Championship fixture between neighbouring nations Australis and New Zealand, coach Nathan Grey selected Palu to start at outside centre. The Melburnian played the entire 80 minutes in the thrilling clash on the Sunshine Coast.

 

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Ronan Leahy and Kauri Tipene-Grace are another two Force players who were part of that Australia U20s squad that challenge for southern hemisphere glory. Leahy shone for Australia U20s this year and went on to debut in Super Rugby Pacific against the Reds.

Palu seems eager to embrace the “new opportunity” out west.

“I’m really excited to join the Force. It’s a new opportunity for me and a chance to develop my game and showcase my skills,” the 20-year-old said in a statement.

“The Force are a club on the rise and I’m excited to play my part to help build on it. It’ll be great to learn off the coaches and see where we can go.

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“It’s a big change to move out of home for the first time and it’s an opportunity to grow my character and as a player as well. I’m thrilled to be here.”

Palu joined his new Western Force teammates in Perth last week for some pre-season training before linking up with his designated Western Australia Premier Grade club Nedlands.

The addition of the Australian U20s representative to the Force’s ranks follows the signings of Wallabies Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Darcy Swain, along with Nic Dolly, Nick Campion de Crespigny and Harry Johnson Holmes for 2025.

“He’s got really good feet and acceleration. He can be really explosive in our midfield in that 12 or 13 spot,” Force head coach Simon Cron added.

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“He’s also young so he sits well in our age category in terms of brining players over who can grow into long-term Force representatives.

“On top of that he’s an amazing person. The first day he landed in Perth he was at Nedlands training that night. We’re excited by him and what he can bring.”

In the past, another ‘Junior Wallabies’ midfielder made the move out west to pursue an opportunity at the next level. Henry O’Donnell, from Sydney, went on to play five matches off the bench in Super Rugby Pacific this year.

“The thing that’s best about Perth is all the boys are actually from the east coast, we all live together over here. We all live pretty much in the same suburb,” O’Donnell told RugbyPass towards the start of the year.

“It’s a bit like a little family over here because we don’t have our friends outside of footy, we only kind of really have each other.

“There was a big dream for me to play for the Tahs. Growing up, that was obviously the team I rooted for and I really wanted to play for them,” he added.

“I was just looking at obviously the opportunity for me, the coaching staff, it’s also a good chance to live out of home, lots of life experience. That was probably the big decision in terms of opportunity.”

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J
JW 2 hours ago
Why NZR's Ineos settlement may be the most important victory they'll enjoy this year

It really all depends of how much overseas players would be paid (by NZR) to play for the All Blacks. I’ve not heard a peep on this front from any author suggesting it’s a good idea.


If it’s nothing (a player gets his weekly paycheck from the club and thats it (which we know is definitely not the case in Ireland and France, or SA even I think?), then maybe it would retain more SR level players given that they’ll be getting the “AB” component (which is about where things stand, Burke for instance would have had to had his Sader contract upgraded to an AB one (think above Pero levels) to be on similar money.


I’d having to imagine if a player is getting paid to do nothing over the international windows though, they are going to want to get paid extra for appear for the ABs, so in this situation, it’s hard to see many players being retained, yes.


I’m pretty sure they flew to Japan and met in person.


I’ve heard/had these discussions numerous times. I don’t think theres anyway to judge the interest that would be retain in SR. For one, it might be a more entertaining league as a result, as the JRLO is compared to Europe, despite it obviously being a lesser standard.


If SRP is of a lesser standard and now able to use Japanese and American players to bolster teams, perhaps those markets more than make up for the downturn in NZ and Aus? Perhaps it gives NZR flexibility to create a more fit for purpose interdomestic competition, and interest actually increases? All you might need is a proper pathway from school to pro?


Razor asked NZR to keep an open mind. Did NZR answer any of these questions to themself?

24 Go to comments
J
JW 4 hours ago
Kyren Taumoefolau All Blacks stance splits opinions on eligibility

Yeah of course it can be, it manages a good commerical outcome when 100 million people are following it. I’m saying rugby is no where near even remotely close to getting the payoff you’re talking about, never mind the distinct lack of anyway to implement it.


So you’re going for the dirty approach. I’m not surprised, it’s the only way to easily implement it right now. I wouldn’t see the benefit to doing that myself. A draft, if purely feasible in it’s own right, doesn’t need to provide commercial benefit at all (if it works, that’s all it needs to do, as it no doubt did back in america’s heyday). But without the advantageous backing of sponsors and interest levels, if you pick the wrong method to implement it, like a dirty approach, you do potential harm to it’s acceptance.


The aspect’s of the approach you chose that I don’t like, is that the franchises are the ones spending the money of the U20’s only for there opposition to get first dibs. Personally, I would much prefer an investment into a proper pathway (which I can’t really see SR U20s being at all in anycase). I’m not exactly sure how the draft works in america, but I’m pretty sure it’s something like ‘anyone whishing to be pro has to sign for the draft’, and results in maybe 10 or 20% of those being drafted. The rest (that accumulative 80/90% year on year) do go back into club, pronvincial, or whatever they have there, and remain scouted and options to bring in on immediate notice for cover etc. You yes, you draw on everybody, but what is generating your interest in the drafties in the first plaec?


This is your missing peace. If some come through school and into the acadamies, which would be most, you’ve currently got three years of not seeing those players after they leave school. Those that miss and come in through club, maybe the second year theyre in the draft or whatever, aged 20/21, you’re going to have no clue how they’ve been playing. NPC is a high level, so any that are good enough to play that would already be drafted, but some late bloomers you might see come in NPC but then Sky’s not going to broadcast that anymore. So what’s generating this massive interest you’re talking about, and most importantly, how does it tie in with the other 7 clubs that will be drafting (and providing) players outside of NZ?


Is the next step to pump tens of millions into SRP U20s? That would be a good start for investment in the youth (to get onto international levels of pathway development) in the first place but are fans going to be interested to the same level as what happens in america? Baseball, as mentioned, has the minor leagues, if we use that model it hasn’t to be broad over the whole pacific, because you’re not having one draft right, they all have to play against each other. So here they get drafted young and sent out into a lower level thats more expansive that SR, is there interest in that? There would be for large parts, but how financially viable would it be. Twiggy tried to get a league started and NPC clubs joined. BOP and Taranaki want SR representation, do we have a mix of the biggest clubs and provinces/states make a couple of divisions? I think that is far more likely to fan interest and commerical capabilities than an U20 of the SR teams. Or ofc Uni fits a lot of options. I’ve not really read anything that has tried to nut out the feasability of a draft, it can certainly work if this spitballing is anything to go by, but I think first theres got to be a need for it far above just being a drafting level.

36 Go to comments
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