Dolly has one cap for England

Western Force have announced the signing of hooker Nic Dolly and he will join the Super Rugby club in July.

Dolly moves from Leicester Tigers and the switch of clubs could also see him change allegiances internationally. The 24-year-old has been capped for England but his first and only game came in 2021.

Read more: Nic Dolly and Leicester

World Rugby’s eligibility rules changed and state if a player has not been capped for three years they can switch to another nation they are eligible for. Dolly qualified for England through his mother but he was born in Australia. His move to Western Force could see him catch the eye of new Australia head coach Joe Schmidt.

Force general manager of rugby Matt Hodgson said: “We’re rapt to complete a deal to bring Nic back home to Australia. Nic’s signing is further reinforcement of our commitment to squad depth in all positions and he brings international quality, for both club and country.

“He proved himself as a high-quality hooker at Leicester and we’re excited to offer him an opportunity to get back to playing regular games to boost his international aspirations.”

And Dolly added: “I’m excited to play and just play really well to help the Club on its trajectory,” Dolly said. “I’ve been over here for seven years, and I always had a plan to go back home to play rugby.

“The Force approached me and made me feel wanted which was a huge attraction. The long-term plan and direction the Club is going is exciting, with Crono locked in for the next few years. It feels like a great move and a great place to live.”

Dolly isn’t the first Leicester Tigers player to join Western Forced with Harry Potter and Sam Carter signing in the last year.

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