Shute Shield winning quartet re-sign with NSW Waratahs
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The NSW Waratahs have locked up the core of Eastern Surburbs' Shute Shield title-winning campaign for the 2025 Super Rugby season.
Teddy Wilson, Jack Bowen, Julian Heaven and Jack Grant have all re-signed on one-year deals after leading Easts to a historic 36-35 win over Northern Suburbs.
Wilson and Heaven both crossed in the one-point victory, ending a 55-year title drought at Woollahra.
The former Junior Wallabies captain is coming off five appearances for the club in 2024, widely tipped for higher honours.
“I love it here at the Waratahs and it definitely feels like home here,” Wilson said in a statement.
“Re-signing was an easy decision for me this year. I still want to achieve a lot more things here at the Waratahs and the future looks exciting.”
Heaven meanwhile is coming off a dream season that saw him elevated to the full-time squad and handed his Super Rugby debut in round two against the Crusaders.
“It’s a very exciting time for me and my family,” Heaven admits.
“It’s good to be rewarded for the hard work and the effort I put in last year but nothing changes for me, it’s just an opportunity to get better and grow.
“I’m looking forward to doing that with the new staff and players here at the club.”
As for Bowen, he made a real statement of intent with a breakout performance against the Queensland Reds in the final round of the Super Rugby Pacific season in his debut start.
“It’s obviously a really exciting time with a lot of young guys here and some really experienced old heads so to lock down my time here under new coaching and performance staff is going to be really exciting over the next few years,” Bowen believes.
“Hopefully we can emulate some of the success that we’ve had in past years.”
Rounding out the list is Grant, with the scrumhalf embracing his return from England at the start of the year after making nine appearances in 2024.
“It’s special this place. I always wanted to play here and there’s just so many cool things happening in the future of Australian Rugby and in NSW,” Grant said.
“To be here at the moment, it’s pretty exciting to stay.”
It comes after the signing of fellow clubmate Darby Lancaster from the Rebels.