Len Ikitau has locked in his Wallabies future ahead of the highly anticipated 2025 British & Irish Lions Tour, signing a flexible two-year deal with Rugby Australia and the Brumbies that keeps him in the national frame through to the 2027 World Cup.
The contract includes a nine-month sabbatical in the UK with Exeter Chiefs, but crucially, it allows the 26-year-old to remain eligible for Test selection.
Ikitau will complete the 2025 Super Rugby season in Canberra before heading to England following the second Bledisloe Cup Test in October. While he’ll miss the Brumbies' 2026 campaign, he is expected back in Wallabies gold for the July Test series that same year. He’ll also be available for the Wallabies’ Spring Tour in 2025, including headline fixtures against Italy, Ireland and France.
It’s a significant win for RA, who faced stiff competition from foreign clubs keen on securing Ikitau’s services.
“To know we’re coming back is very reassuring”
“I’d like to thank the Brumbies and Rugby Australia for their flexibility in this agreement, and my family and I are looking forward to a unique life experience in the UK with Exeter,” Ikitau said in a statement.
“To know we’ll be coming back home to Canberra and the Brumbies is very reassuring, especially with the home Rugby World Cup not far away.”
Having made his Test debut in 2021, Ikitau has since become one of the most reliable midfielders in the game. His 2024 flick pass against England at Twickenham remains one of the Wallabies’ highlights of the season, and a reminder of just how vital he is to Australia’s plans heading into a blockbuster four-year cycle.