The NSW Waratahs are set to pull off one of the most nostalgic signings in recent Super Rugby memory, with the half-back pairing of Bernard Foley and Nick Phipps — the men who steered the franchise to its one and only Super Rugby title — poised to return to the blue jersey for the 2027 season, more than seven years after they last represented the state.
Both veterans, who recently completed stints in Japan, are understood to have agreed to one-year contracts with the Waratahs, according to sources familiar with the negotiations. The deals are yet to be formally announced, with confidentiality obligations preventing official confirmation.
The Men Behind NSW's Only Super Rugby Title
Foley, now 36, and Phipps, 37, were the starting No.10 and No.9 respectively when the Waratahs claimed their maiden Super Rugby grand final in 2014, defeating the Crusaders at ANZ Stadium. That title remains the franchise's only Super Rugby championship.
Foley went on to play 119 games across nine seasons for NSW, while Phipps made 87 Super Rugby appearances for the Waratahs after switching from the Rebels in 2013. Between them, the Sydney University clubmates accumulated 148 Test caps for the Wallabies and featured in two Rugby World Cups before both departed for overseas following the 2019 tournament.
Phipps represented London Irish before moving to the Green Rockets Tokatsu in Japan. Foley spent six years with Kubota Spears, where he led the club to the 2022-23 League One premiership and finished as the competition's leading point-scorer.
What's Brought Them Back to the Waratahs
Neither player had firm plans to continue after finishing their Japanese commitments last month. However, circumstances at NSW created an opening for both.
Phipps's return was triggered in large part by a long-term Achilles tendon injury suffered by halfback Jake Gordon in the Waratahs' final match of the current season. With Teddy Wilson available but Michael McDonald having recently departed, the next option in line is 19-year-old Junior Wallabies halfback Angus Grover — highly rated, but with limited senior experience. The Waratahs moved quickly to offer Phipps a deal to cover Gordon's absence through the first portion of the 2027 season.
Foley's recruitment follows a significant shake-up of the NSW playmaking stocks, with Lawson Creighton, Jack Bowen and Jack Debreczeni all having recently left the squad. While new halves Max Burey and Joey Fowler are in the mix at No.10, Foley is expected to be the Waratahs' primary first five-eighth, with a mentoring role also forming part of his brief.
Speaking on a podcast last week, Foley said the prospect of returning in a Rugby World Cup year — with Australia hosting the tournament — had been a key motivator. "Just the hype around the game leading into a home World Cup, and being able to contribute and help the Waratahs, that's what sort of excited me about the opportunity," he said.
Rugby Australia Boss Backs the Experience Play
Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh, who also oversees the Waratahs following RA's takeover of the franchise in 2023, endorsed Foley's return as a smart balance for a squad that includes incoming NRL convert Angus Crichton.
"He's a winning Waratah, he's a winning Wallaby, and he'd certainly be very attractive to have in the environment," Waugh said. He pointed to the combination of Foley's deep experience with Crichton's transition back to rugby union as a compelling reason to bring seasoned heads into the group.
The returns will not be without scrutiny. Since Foley's departure in 2019, the Waratahs have cycled through a string of young five-eighths — including Will Harrison, Tane Edmed, Ben Donaldson and Jack Bowen — in search of a reliable answer at the position. Whether a pair of 36 and 37-year-olds can provide stability in a World Cup year will be one of Australian rugby's more intriguing storylines heading into 2027.
