Crichton to Join Waratahs After 2026 NRL Season

Sydney Roosters forward Angus Crichton, a standout in Australia's National Rugby League, is poised to switch codes to rugby union after the 2026 season, signing with the New South Wales Waratahs in pursuit of a spot on the Wallabies for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

The 29-year-old back-rower, whose contract with the Roosters expires at the end of next year, has agreed to a one-year deal with Rugby Australia, sources close to the negotiations confirmed. Crichton, who has played 198 NRL games, will join the 15-player code's Super Rugby Pacific competition with the Waratahs, positioning him for national selection ahead of the home tournament. Rugby Australia is expected to announce the signing soon.

Crichton's move marks the latest high-profile defection from the Roosters to rugby union, following teammate Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii's widely discussed transition to the Waratahs in 2024. Another Roosters winger, Mark Nawaqanitawase, is also departing after the 2026 season to take up a lucrative two-year contract worth more than one million Australian dollars per season with a Division One team in Japan's Rugby League One. Nawaqanitawase, a dual-code international with prior...