Triple boost for 'Tahs
Lock Jed Holloway has signed for an extra three years while fullback Andrew Kellaway and tighthead prop Matt Sandell have signed on for an extra two with the New South Wales side.
The triple re-signing is a huge coup for the team with all three players amongst the Waratahs’ new and in-form talent this year.
All born and raised in New South Wales, Holloway, Kellaway and Sandell are successful products of the NSW rugby pathways programme, all having previously represented in the NSW Gen Blue Under-20s, NSW National Rugby Championship (NRC) sides and NSW club rugby.
Waratahs head coach, Daryl Gibson, said he was pleased to see the three players commit to the team.
“It’s great news for the team," said Gibson.
"Jed, Andrew and Matt are all quality young men and they're the type of players we can build a team round for the future.
“All three players have developed through the NSW pathways system and are passionate about representing NSW.
“They are all making excellent progress and proving they can compete well at this level, which is great for NSW and Australian rugby.”
Holloway made his run-on debut in round one of 2016 following his maiden Super Rugby match for the Waratahs back in 2013.
The former captain of Southern Districts and the Greater Sydney Rams NRC side has taken little time to make a name for himself as one of the Tahs’ strongest ball runners this year in the number eight jersey.
In Round Three against the Highlanders, Holloway scored his maiden Super Rugby try and then went on to score a hat-trick after coming from the bench at halftime.
His three tries saw him enter the record books for the most individual tries in a match for the Waratahs as a replacement since 1882, and as the first Waratah forward to score three tries in a Super Rugby match since the inception of the tournament.
Andrew Kellaway made his long-awaited Super Rugby debut three weeks ago in Round Six after plying his trade with the Waratahs since the beginning of 2015.
Kellaway’s potential was thrust onto the stage in 2014 when he scored on debut for Randwick against Eastern Suburbs in the Shute Shield.
That same year he went on to break the record for most amount of tries ever scored at a Junior World Championship, crossing for 10 five-pointers at the tournament held in New Zealand.
He also topped the try scoring tally as part of the NSW Country Eagles in the inaugural NRC competition, with nine tries in seven matches.
Matt Sandell was named on the bench against the Brumbies in round two this year but is yet to make his first Super Rugby appearance.
A product of Sydney Rugby nursery, St Joseph’s College, Sandell is one of six players in the squad this year born in country NSW.
