Clermont formalizes an Australian star for next season – Sport.fr
Rob Simmons (Photo by Icon Sports)
The Auvergne club, currently ranked 10th in the Top 14, on Monday confirmed the arrival of Rob Simmons (33 years, 102 caps) as Australia’s second-line Australian international for the next two seasons.
Former Australian Reds and Wartas player Rob Simmons signed for English club London Irish in 2020. He played in three World Cups for the Wallabies in 2011, 2015 and 2019, but has not worn a national team shirt for over two years. However, that did not prevent the French club ASM Clermont from contracting him to strengthen its group in the coming seasons.
According to Claremont manager Christophe Aureus, the aim was to thicken the squad with high-level players, and the arrival of Rob Simmons fully met that need. His experience in terms of conquest and personality will be a great help to the team. In fact, ASM’s performance has been struggling this season in the top 14, which makes strengthening the group all the more important.
In addition, ASM has also appointed another second line, New Zealander Chris Gabriel, to a two-year contract. Despite being only 23 years old, Christophe Aureus points out that Gabriel is a really big player with an impressive physique of 2.03m and 128kg. He moves a lot and has great potential, though he needs to work and adapt to rugby union.
In addition to these two reinforcements, ASM has also signed four other international players to bolster their squad for upcoming seasons. French right-back Mohamed Hawass, Australian Folau Vaenga, New Zealand third-line Pita Jos Soakola and Argentine third-line Marcus Kremer were brought in to provide their experience and skills to the team.
In short, ASM Clermont has strengthened its squad with high-profile players, such as Rob Simmons and Chris Gabriel, as well as four more internationals in the coming seasons. These recruitments should help the team meet the challenges of future competitions, especially in the top 14.
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– ASM Rugby (ASMOfficiel) March 20, 2023
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