Dane Haylett-Petty re-signs with Western Force and Australian Rugby Union
Tuesday 21 February 2017 07:12, UK
Wallabies winger Dane Haylett-Petty has re-signed with Australian Rugby through the 2019 World Cup.
The 27-year-old, who has played 14 Tests since his debut against England in June, will also remain with the Western Force in Super Rugby.
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Last year was a breakout campaign for the South African-born player as he won the Force's Nathan Sharpe medal for the most valuable player and was named the Wallaby rookie of the year award.
Haylett-Petty says he is determined to establish himself as a Test regular for Australia and is thrilled to be staying with the Force.
"The drawcard of trying to get back into that Wallabies team was a large part of my decision," Haylett-Petty said.
"I really enjoyed last year, the challenges week in and week out, watching my game grow and the Force were a big part of that.
"I feel like we're really heading in the right direction and we have a great group of young men with a bright future."
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika is delighted Haylett-Petty is staying in Australia and expects him to continue to develop at Test level for the national team.
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"Dane's performances in 2016 spoke for themselves and our desire for him to stay and play in Australia show how much we value him as a player," Cheika said.
"We know that his best is yet to come and we will be working hard with Dane in 2017 to ensure that he achieves the goals he's set out for the next few years."
The new Super Rugby season kicks off on February 23 and all nine first-round game are live on Sky Sports, including six fixtures on February 25 when the Western Force will be in action against the Waratahs.
