Waratahs go back to the future with Foley, Phipps signings

Waratahs go back to the future with Foley, Phipps signings SYDNEY, Aug 6 : The New South Wales Waratahs signed flyhalf Bernard Foley and scrumhalf Nick Phipps for the 2027 season on Thursday, bringing back to Sydney the halfback pairing that won the team their sole Super Rugby title 12 years ago. Foley, nicknamed the "Iceman" after slotting the late penalty that won the Waratahs the 2014 final against the Canterbury Crusaders, returns at the age of 36 having played seven years in Japan for Kubota Spears. Phipps, a year older, has also been in Japan with the Green Rockets since 2022 and rejoins the Waratahs seven years after leaving Australia to play for London Irish in Europe. The pair also linked up to help Australia reach the final of the 2015 World Cup and could also offer new Wallabies coach Les Kiss some experienced options ahead of next year's World Cup on home soil. Phipps won the last of his 72 caps in 2019, while Foley returned to the test arena in 2022 and is a rarity in Australian rugby in being a proven flyhalf at international level. "I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to rejoin the Waratahs for 2027," Foley said in a news release. "I feel very lucky to have the chance to finish back at the club where it all started. I can't wait to meet the playing group and everyone involved and get to work." The Waratahs finished eighth out of 11 teams in Super Rugby Pacific last season and are currently without a coach after Dan McKellar stepped down in June. "What has been clear in my conversations with Bernard and Nick is their hunger to contribute and their desire to help drive our team forward," said high-performance director Barrie-Jon Mather. "They have a deep understanding of what it means to represent the Waratahs and they know what it takes to build a winning environment."