The Melbourne Rebels have moved to add more speed to their 2014 side by signing young New Zealand winger Telusa Veainu from the Crusaders.
The 22-year-old, a former national under-20s player, will move to Melbourne to take up the two-year contract after finishing up the ITM Cup season with his club Hawke’s Bay.
He will join the Rebels as a developing foreign player, adding to the number of Kiwi players already on their books.
Veainu has made eight Super Rugby appearances for the Crusaders and his previous club, the Highlanders, highlighted by a length-of-the-field try in Dunedin for the Crusaders this season.
He’s also been in strong form in the ITM Cup, having scored 21 tries in 34 games over three NPC campaigns with Canterbury before racking up four tries in Napier’s first six games of the season.
Rebels general manager Sam Cordingley said Veainu was a valuable asset to the club’s international rugby program.
“His record and tryscoring ratio at ITM Cup level is outstanding, and we have no doubt he can translate that form onto the Super Rugby stage for our members here in Melbourne,” Cordingley said.
Veainu scored a hat-trick of tries in New Zealand’s 62-17 thumping of Australia in the final of the 2010 IRB junior world championships in Argentina.