Building a new Brumbies legacy and chasing World Cup glory are the two main drivers behind Wallabies centre Christian Lealiifano re-signing with the Brumbies and the ARU until the end of 2016.

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.

“Money wasn’t the biggest thing for me,” Lealiifano said.

“It was more the program and where I can develop as a person and a player.”

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.

“There’s such a massive future for (White and Toomua) and hopefully they take me along for the ride,” Leallifano said.

Larkham and halfback great George Gregan were the backbone of a Brumbies outfit that won two Super Rugby titles and a World Cup at the turn of the century.

Lealiifano said building a new Australian rugby “legacy” alongside White and Toomua was something he was intent on delivering.

“Looking at those guys achievements and what they did is always something to try and achieve,” he said.

“But we got to try and make our own. It’s all about us now.

“If we stay together we can build something really special here.”

He added that winning a Super Rugby title – after the Brumbies finished runners-up in 2013 – was also a “massive factor”.

“I’ve still got this year and the next couple of years to try and achieve that,” he said.

There’s no better man to guide the trio in achieving those goals than Larkham himself.

Yet Lealiifano said it wasn’t only Larkham’s guidance as a coach that helped convince him to stay, but his words of wisdom surrounding next year’s Rugby World Cup.

“The biggest carrot he said was Test footy,” Lealiifano said.

“If you go overseas you are going to miss Test footy.”

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

He said Lealiifano’s re-signing would 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.

Meanwhile, Wallabies winger Joe Tomane’s season is in doubt after he made a trip to hospital for scans on his cheekbone.

He won’t travel to South Africa with the Brumbies for their matches against the Cheetahs and Bulls, however Henry Speight will make a timely return from a broken jaw suffered against the Waratahs in round five.