Waratahs sign London Irish hooker Dave Porecki

London Irish hooker Dave Porecki will return to Australia after he was signed by Super Rugby club Waratahs.

Porecki will be available for Waratahs for the ongoing Super Rugby AU tournament and has penned a deal with the New South Wales based side until the end of the 2022 season.

“This situation is certainly not how I thought my time at the Waratahs would start,” Porecki said.

“I’d been considering returning to Australia for some time and had been speaking with Rappy [Tim Rapp] about getting back to Sydney and playing Super Rugby.

“It’s an exciting time for the Waratahs with a heap of young talent across the squad, hopefully I can help their development as players the way senior guys [at the Waratahs] supported me in the early stages of my career.”

The 27-year-old made a solitary appearance for Waratahs in 2015 but since then had been featuring for Saracens and most recently London Irish which he joined in 2016. Having already completed the quarantine period in a Sydney hotel, Porecki joined his team-mates on training as they face Western Force next on 11th July.

“Dave’s a local boy who understands the significance of being a Waratah, but comes back after taking the opportunity to broaden his experience overseas,” said Waratahs head coach Rob Penney.

“He played a huge hand in some Championship-winning seasons at London Irish and we’re just pleased to have him home for Super Rugby AU and beyond.

“Dave’s a strong player both on and off the ball and brings some excellent qualities to our front row – our young guys will enjoy playing alongside and learning from him.”