Wallaby back Mat Rogers is poised to immediately leave rugby union and to return to rugby league after more than four years playing in the 15-a-side code, it was reported on Wednesday.
The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) said the utility back would meet senior officials on Thursday afternoon to discuss a release from his contract, which is due to expire after next year’s Rugby World Cup in France.
But it was widely reported in the Australian media that the ARU has already agreed to release Rogers, who has played 45 Tests for the Wallabies since he switched from rugby league in 2002.
Rogers’s coach at the New South Wales Waratahs Super 14 outfit, Ewen McKenzie, said he doubted the 31-year-old would remain with rugby union.
”If you look at the way things have panned out, we haven’t got a final decision, but you’d say it’s looking pretty unlikely,” McKenzie told ABC radio.
”If Mat goes, then so be it; we’ll move on and come up with another option.”
Rogers announced in September that he was leaving rugby union after the World Cup to play with new National Rugby League franchise the Gold Coast Titans.
But he has asked for the switch to be moved forward so he can immediately rejoin rugby league, where he played 11 Tests for Australia before changing codes.
Meanwhile, former Wallaby coach Eddie Jones has ruled out ditching the Queensland Reds Super 14 franchise to fill England’s vacant coaching post, even though England have shown no interest in signing the ex-Australia mentor.
Jones said last week he was open to offers to guide England at the 2007 World Cup. But now Jones has said England had not been in touch and he would be at the helm in Queensland next year.
”I’ve got a normal contractual relationship with Queensland where I have to give them a number of months’ notice and they have to give me a number of months’ notice,” he told Australian Associated Press.
”Having said all that, I can assure you I’ll be coaching Queensland in the Super 14 this year.” — Sapa-AFP