Joseph Suaalii will depart the Sydney Roosters, and the NRL, at the end of his current contract for a three-year deal with Rugby Australia and the New South Wales Waratahs.
The code switch will allow Suaalii to play for the Wallabies against the British and Irish Lions in 2025, with a World Cup ahead in 2027.
Suaalii’s move will be rugby’s biggest coup out of the NRL in two decades, after Mat Rogers, Wendell Sailor and Lote Tuqiri all crossed codes in the early 2000s.
The Roosters confirmed the departure in a statement, with coach Trent Robinson saying Suaalii had been “transparent with the club and we respect his decision”. “He has made his commitment to the Roosters club for the next year and a half crystal clear, and we’re excited about the path we’re on,” he said.