In a significant boost to their preparations for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, the Australian national rugby union team has successfully lured NRL star Angus Crichton back to the sport of his childhood. The Sydney Roosters forward will depart rugby league after the 2026 season to join the Sydney-based Waratahs in Super Rugby, targeting a place in the Wallabies squad for the tournament on home soil in eighteen months' time.
A Return to Rugby Union Roots
The 29-year-old Crichton, who represented Australia at schoolboy level in rugby union before forging a successful career in the 13-man code, has agreed to a two-year deal to swap codes. His power and athleticism are expected to be utilised in the centres or back row, adding considerable strength to the Wallabies' options.
"It's incredibly exciting to be returning to the sport I played throughout my childhood," Crichton said. "Growing up in Young, I have great memories driving up on buses to Canberra with the other farmers and their families for the Tahs-Brumbies game every year."
Fulfilling a Childhood Dream
Crichton expressed his deep personal connection to the Wallabies, revealing: "To have a chance to play in the same Waratahs jersey as Lote Tuqiri, my favourite rugby player as a kid, is something special. I grew up with a Wallabies jersey and poster on the wall and my dream was to one day represent them."
The 2021 Rugby League World Cup winner, who featured in all three Tests for the Kangaroos against England late last year, acknowledged his rugby league career while looking ahead to his new challenge. "I'm in a position in 2027 to pursue that dream and I would like to thank Rugby Australia and the Waratahs for the opportunity, while also acknowledging and showing gratitude for the wonderful career I've had in the NRL."
Reversing the Traditional Flow
Crichton's move continues a notable reversal of the general trend of movement from union to league within Australia. The Wallabies are actively assembling a side capable of challenging for glory on home soil, with this recruitment drive echoing the successful period before Australia last hosted the World Cup in 2003.
Recent code-switching successes include:
- Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, lured on a multi-million dollar deal in 2024
- Carter Gordon, who returned to rugby union and the Wallabies squad in November
- Mark Nawaqanitawase, expected to follow with a two-year deal in Japan from 2027
Strategic Recruitment Under New Leadership
The signature of Crichton represents an undoubted coup for Rugby Australia, who have appointed Les Kiss as the successor to Joe Schmidt as Wallabies head coach. Kiss will begin his tenure after the inaugural Nations Championship in July, with Australia hosting Ireland, France and Italy in Schmidt's final campaign.
This strategic recruitment mirrors the successful approach taken before the 2003 tournament, when high-profile converts Lote Tuqiri, Wendell Sailor and Mat Rogers all switched codes in the run-up to the competition. That Wallabies side, under Eddie Jones, reached the final before losing to England.
Crichton's impressive rugby league credentials include winning the 2019 NRL Grand Final and featuring in State of Origin, providing the Wallabies with proven big-game experience as they build toward 2027. The player himself remains focused on his immediate commitments, stating: "I am pleased to have confirmed my plans for beyond this season and look forward to fully focusing on the campaign ahead with my team mates and family at the Roosters."
