The Melbourne Rebels have signed Wallabies winger Filipo Daugunu for two years, until at least the end of the 2025 season.
While making the announcement, the club says Daugunu’s impact will go far beyond just the rugby field, with the twenty-eight-year-old to be a valuable addition to the Rebels’ long-term Pasifika strategy, which looks to promote and celebrate Pasifika culture and tradition.
The winger will strengthen the Rebels 2024 squad after recent signings of Taniela Tupou and former Wallaby Lukhan Salakaia-Loto.
Melbourne Rebels Attack Coach, Tim Sampson says the club was thrilled to win Daugunu’s signature.
He says it is important to recruit players who they think will suit their game model and Filipo is certainly a player who was of immediate interest to them.
“I have always admired his all-round skill set and without playing all games this season, he still managed some impressive individual stats, notably being in the top 20 for line breaks across the competition and also in the top 10 for breakdown steals”.
After moving to Australia from Fiji in 2017, Daugunu burst onto the Super Rugby scene in 2018, scoring 37 points and six tries in his debut season.
Just two seasons later, the electrifying playmaker was selected for the Wallabies during their opening Bledisloe match against the All Blacks, scoring on debut.
Daugunu has since accumulated 7 Test Caps for Australia, scoring two tries, while also making 69 appearances for the Reds, scoring twenty-two tries for a total of 120 points over six years of Super Rugby action.
Daugunu says he couldn’t wait to begin his Rebels career, and play in a system he believes will bring out the very best in him.
He says having played his entire professional career in Queensland, the time was right to experience something new and come to such a great city like Melbourne.
Daugunu says Queensland have made him the player he is today and he will be forever grateful for that, but he is looking forward to this next chapter in his career and playing for the Melbourne Rebels.
He adds the Rebels have played an exciting brand of rugby this year and being able to add to that, and help build on what they’re already doing well, that’s exciting.
Source: Rebels
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