Digby commits to Wallabies, Reds
4 Dec 2011
Digby Ioane has agreed a new three-year deal with the ARU and Reds after being linked with a lucrative move to Japan over the past several months.
The 26-year-old wing broke the news on Twitter after the Wallabies’ 24-18 win over Wales on Saturday, by tweeting: ‘Good win frm the boys. Thank u so much 4 the support, means a lot:) can’t wait 2 go home now’ and ’4 got 2 tell u my friends! Gonna stay in australia for the next 3 years!!! God is good an we r #reds’.
Ioane received a $1m-per-season contract to play for Japanese club Kubota midway through this year’s Super Rugby campaign – a deal similar to the one Stormers centre Jaque Fourie signed earlier this week. Ioane reportedly verbally agreed to the lucrative deal before denying it and saying he’d make up his mind after the World Cup.
The powerful speedster will now remain in Australia until the end of 2014 at least. Reds coach Ewen McKenzie believes Ioane’s new deal is a major coup ahead of his team’s Super Rugby title defence next season.
‘Obviously we’re quite pleased it’s finally over. That ices the cake for us,’ McKenzie told AAP. ‘We’ve retained 25 of the 30 contracted players from last year which is a great position to be in after winning the title and it gives us a good capacity for success again.
‘I think Digby’s had an outstanding year. It was surprising he’d only played 11 Tests before this season due to injuries. He’s a bit of an enigma as a winger. He’s got such a high work-rate, he doesn’t play wing like in an orthodox way which we’re pleased about.
‘He touches the ball more than anyone else apart from the [halves] and he makes a positive impact with every touch.’
22 Comments
4 Dec 2011, 12:05 pm
Not a smart dragon…. mathematically challenged!
4 Dec 2011, 12:15 pm
This decision makes Jaque Fourie sound like a bit of a money hungry mercenary.
4 Dec 2011, 12:18 pm
$I Million a year.
that’s like a gazillion Rand right.
4 Dec 2011, 12:20 pm
Good news for Super Rugby,
Digby an exciting player.
He has the X factor.
4 Dec 2011, 12:24 pm
@cane(cane)-3: communist kiwi, why do you guys need money.
4 Dec 2011, 12:29 pm
@Roar my Lions …. Currie Cup Champions 2011(RL)-5:
I do lean a little to the left RL.
But not enough to make me a Reds fan.
8)
4 Dec 2011, 12:41 pm
@cane(cane)-6: well as a lefty you may enjoy this clip, featuring your fellow lefty, Bob
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=ZA#/watch?v=tbap1wt6OwQ
4 Dec 2011, 12:57 pm
@Roar my Lions …. Currie Cup Champions 2011(RL)-7:
I had look RL.
Great Stuffing.
While I was there, I took a look at the Nando’s Chicken Breast Ad.
Always been a breast man myself.
8)
4 Dec 2011, 13:25 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-2:
Looking at the R22 million figure for Jaques, it translates to US$1.5 million a year. More than Digby and understandably difficult to resist.
4 Dec 2011, 23:28 pm
Jaque can’t Caterpillar even if his life depended on it.
5 Dec 2011, 00:37 am
@David(David)-9:
It’s Aussie dollars.
He’d be getting roughly half of what Jaque Fourie is getting.
And he’s only 26.
Might as well hold out for a few seasons before getting an even larger contract.
5 Dec 2011, 00:53 am
Sias Ebersohn stretchered off in the help for heroes match at Twickenham on Saturday. Anyone know what he has done?
5 Dec 2011, 01:42 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-10:
On his new salary he can hire an entire league of beat-boys to perform it for him each time he dots down…
5 Dec 2011, 01:51 am
Extending Deans’ contract for two years and the lure of the 2013 BIL tour will see the majority of his current squad of youngsters stay in the country for that period…
5 Dec 2011, 03:42 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-2: nah. jaques is at the end of his career and has fought and bled for his country.
digby hasnt gotten anywhere near playing as much for his adopted country.
5 Dec 2011, 04:07 am
@man1a(man1a)-15:
‘his adopted country’…
I’d hardly say he ‘adopted’ Australia at the age of 5 and is a product of Victorian rugby until his last year of school moving to QLD….
5 Dec 2011, 04:07 am
Jacques has the full set of international medals, is towards the end of his career and is earning huge moolah. The scales are tipped towards the Japanese retirement fund. Digby has more to gain from staying in Oz
5 Dec 2011, 06:16 am
Jacques is an outright mercenary and Rassie is an outright maverick moegoe who can’t read the underlying script in any contractual agreement notwithstanding his hopelessly blind inadequacies in team or personnel management when it comes to recognizing who to keep and who to sell.
5 Dec 2011, 07:05 am
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-18: So you would have not taken the 22 mil? Ask Roland Schoeman how that worked out for him. It’s all about the $$. The pride is long gone and that’s just how these things go. Your Rasse comment is true….
5 Dec 2011, 07:23 am
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-18:
Yeah whatever… you call him part of the ‘old JW crew’ and cry out for them to move on… then when he gets a life-changing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and exactly that he’s in your opinion a ‘mercenary’… which is it Ubu?
JF stuck with the Lions during their pathetic Super 14 days (well they’re still pathetic at S15 level) when he could have simply hopped ship… and he’s done the same for the Boks… good on the guy he’s cashing in and his family will reap the benefits…
5 Dec 2011, 12:46 pm
Best linebreaking player in the world at present.
Still think in couple of years he should make a move to midfield.tailor made for 13.
Good news for Oz & reds.
He has taken a bit of time to step up to the plate though,but playing great rugby least 8 months or so.
Has about 18 months until his physical abilities start to wane especially speed wise,lose a yard or 2.
7 Dec 2011, 02:57 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-16: i was talking from a samoan point of view
have to say that considering he doesnt have a kick, which makes him predictable…ie he’s gonna run it, he’s still a handful for every team he’s played against
love digby’s attitude of taking on the defence over and over again and rarely does he not make the advantage line.awesome work ethic and error rate very very low.
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