Lealiifano to stay in Aust until 2016

Wallabies centre Christian Lealiifano has re-signed with the Brumbies and the ARU until the end of 2016 in a major coup for Australian rugby.

Lealiifano turned down big pay packets in Europe to continue his development under Brumbies head coach Stephen Larkham and make a push for next year’s Rugby World Cup in England with the Wallabies.

It caps off an incredibly successful week for the Brumbies, who also re-signed fellow Wallabies playmakers Matt Toomua and Nic White, and then beat their former coach Jake White’s table-topping Sharks 16-9 in Canberra on Saturday.

Larkham said the club was ecstatic to have all three key inside backs “locked up” after securing Lealiifano’s two year deal.

“Any successful team in Super Rugby has a really good nine, 10 and 12 combination,” he told AAP.

“This was the pinnacle week.”

Larkham rates Lealiifano as the best inside centre in Australian rugby.

“Definitely. Look at the game tonight,” he said.

“Guys have pressure on them when they’re negotiating but he finally got it out of the road and had one of his best games this year.”

Larkham, who was the World Cup winning flyhalf for the Wallabies in 1999, believed the carrot of playing in next year’s World Cup helped get Lealiifano across the line.

“Playing for Australia is a massive honour, and I think guys are underestimating how special that feeling is,” he said.

“As soon as you go overseas you definitely miss it.

“My advice would be to definitely stay and play a World Cup”.

He said Lealiifano’s re-signing would also help get other players to stay with the Brumbies.

“Because we have that nucleus there, we’re getting a lot closer with other guys now,” he said.

“It’s a flow on with all the other players wanting to stay.

“The players have created that culture, and it’s enjoyable.”

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