He dreamed of playing for the ACT Brumbies before his debut in 2018 and Canberra local Connal McInerney will continue to live out his dream for a further two seasons.
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The Brumbies announced the hooker re-signed with the side, until the end of 2023, on Tuesday morning.
He first made his debut as injury cover in 2018 but has become a core member of the side with 36 games under his belt in four seasons.
Sadly the 26-year-old has been sidelined for much of 2021 due to a fractured fibula, but made a return to the field during two of the side's three game Trans-Tasman tour.
On his re-signing, McInerney said it was awesome to be staying at the Brumbies for at least the next two years.
"I grew up in Canberra and dreamed of playing for the Brumbies and to be able to live out that dream every day is something I don't take for granted," he said.
"I have a lot of goals I want to achieve on the field with this team and I'll continue to work hard and put everything into the jersey for my teammates, our supporters and for the club."
McInerney has represented Australia as a Junior Wallaby, before he was called in the Wallabies training squad at the end of 2020.
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He made his way to the Brumbies after coming through the school system at Erindale College.
Before he joined the Brumbies pathway programs and honed his craft for the Canberra Royals in the John I Dent Cup and the Canberra Vikings in the National Rugby Championship.
He debuted in March 2018 against the South African side, the Sharks, and has since scored seven tries in the competition for the Brumbies.
Head coach Dan McKellar said the Brumbies were delighted to be keeping McInerney for another two seasons at least.
"He's the classic Brumbies story of someone who earned an opportunity by staying ready and taking that chance with both hands when he got it," he said.
"His growth and maturity as a player and as a person over the last few seasons has been impressive but he knows he's got plenty of improvement left in him.
"Seeing Con go from a good club player to someone who's on the national radar is a testament to his dedication and attitude which he'll no doubt continue to show while here at the Brumbies."
McInerney is the latest player in the Brumbies camp to re-sign with the club, after 20-year-old Rory Scott re-signed until the end of 2023 last week, 21-year-old Nick Frost re-signed until the end of 2022, 21-year-old Lachlan Lonergan re-committed until the end of 2022 and earlier this month 22-year-old Rob Valentini re-committed until the end of 2023.
The signing follows the side's four game losing streak, which began with the Brumbies Super Rugby AU final loss to the Queensland Reds earlier this month.
They will return home this week from their 19 day tour in New Zealand for their second last match of the Trans-Tasman series. The ACT side will face the Wellington Hurricanes on Saturday night at Canberra Stadium from 7.45pm.
Isobel Cootes
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times. A Novocastrian with a passion for football (or soccer as they call it in the capital) via The Examiner and The Port Lincoln Times.
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times. A Novocastrian with a passion for football (or soccer as they call it in the capital) via The Examiner and The Port Lincoln Times.
