Australian Sevens stalwart Nick Malouf has signed a one-year deal with the Leicester Tigers in the U.K’s Aviva Premiership.
Malouf departed the Sevens campus at Narrabeen this week after four years, 30 tournaments and an Olympic Games campaign in Australian colours.
Malouf made his debut in 2012 under Michael O’Connor and was one of the last remaining veterans of the O’Connor era of Australian Rugby Sevens.
A 186cm, 98 kilogram front rower in the shortened form of the game, Malouf will likely transition into the centres or wing in a powerful Leicester backline in 2017/18.
The 24-year-old Brisbane product will link with former Wallabies Peter Betham and Matt Toomua as well as England stars Ben Youngs, Dan Cole and Manu Tuilagi.
Under the guidance of ex-Queensland Reds assistant Matt O’Connor, Leicester finished 13th in the European Champions Cup and appeared in the domestic Semi-Finals in 2016/2017.
Malouf is the latest in a string of fringe Super Rugby players to search for the greener pastures of Rugby contracts overseas.
While Super Rugby teams are restricted to a $5M salary cap not inclusive of national team top-ups, teams in the Aviva Premiership operate with $12M AUD with which to recruit and retain talent.
The French Top 14 competition is capped to $14.7M per team while the Japanese Top League is restricted only by the desires of the mega-corporations financing the teams.
Players departing Australian Rugby in 2017 (30 June)
Nick MALOUF (Aussie Sevens -> Leicester Tigers, England D1)
Saia FAINGA’A (Brumbies -> London Irish, England D1)
Scott FARDY (Brumbies -> Leinster, Ireland – Pro 12)
Jordan SMILER (Brumbies -> Suntory Sungoliath, Japan D1)
Chris ALCOCK (Brumbies -> Kamaishi Seawaves, Japan D2)
Francois VAN WYK (Force -> Northampton Saints, England D1)
Ben TAPUAI (Force -> Bath, England D1)
Luke MORAHAN (Force -> Bristol, England D2)
Jack DEBRECZENI (Melbourne Rebels -> Honda Heat, Japan D2)
Mitch INMAN (Melbourne Rebels -> Oyonnax, France D1)
Dominic DAY (Melbourne Rebels -> Saracens, England D1)
Jake SCHATZ (Melbourne Rebels -> London Irish, England D1)
Ben MEEHAN (Melbourne Rebels -> London Irish, England D1)
Leroy HOUSTON (Queensland Reds -> Bordeaux-Begles, France D1)
Scott GALE (Queensland Reds -> Kamaishi Seawaves, Japan D2)
Jamason FA’ANANA-SCHULTZ (Waratahs -> Auckland, New Zealand D2)
Will SKELTON (Waratahs -> Saracens, England D1)
Rob HORNE (Waratahs -> Northampton Saints, England D1)
Paul ASQUITH* (Southern Districts, NSW -> Scarlets, Wales – Pro 12)
