Blake remains a Red

Prop sensation Rodney Blake has today signed with the Australian Rugby Union and the Queensland Reds for a further two years.

The 130kg prop emerged as one of Australia’s hottest front row prospects this year after a standout Tooheys New Super 14 campaign with the Reds, where he started all but one match at tighthead prop and crossed for his debut try against the Stormers at Suncorp Stadium.

The Tongan-born prop was christened ‘Rodzilla’ by his Reds teammates, while his powerful set piece work and ball running also captured the eye of new National Coach John Connolly, who included the 23-year-old in a 43-man Wallabies train-on squad.

A former Australian Schools and NSW Under 19’s representative, Blake was signed by the Reds for the 2004 season after playing for West Harbour in the New South Wales club competition in 2003.

Blake said that his main ambition over the next two years was to break into the Wallaby team.

“I’m very happy that I’ve been able to secure a new contract with the Reds and I’m looking forward to hopefully fulfilling my goal of playing for the Wallabies,” said Blake.

After trimming down from a massive 148kg as a schoolboy, Blake felt that he had developed his game strongly in the Reds program.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time at the Reds so far and have been able to develop as a player in a good rugby program,” he said.

“The Reds gave me the opportunity to become a Super 14 player and I enjoy living in Brisbane, so it was the right decision for me to stay in Queensland.”

Wallabies Coach John Connolly believes that Blake has a strong future in Australian Rugby.

“Front rowers with Rodney’s size and athleticism are a rare commodity in the current game and he has the talent to become a starting prop at test level,” said Connolly.

Blake’s re-signing with the Reds is a major boost to the team as contract negotiations continue with other off-contract players, according to Reds General Manager Alex Pope.

“The signing of Rodney is a fillip for the Reds as he is not only a cornerstone for our scrum but is also a cornerstone for the future development of this progressive team,” Pope said.

“Rodney will be able to grow as a player with the specialist coaching of Alex Evans and Eddie Jones.

“One of the principles of our negotiations with our players is to consider both their on-field and off-field development.

“Key factors in our negotiations were the involvement of his family and the opportunities we offer to strengthen his personal development.”

New Reds coach Eddie Jones added:

"I'm very excited about the retention of one of the premier tight heads in Australian Rugby and look forward to developing him into one of the world's premier tight-heads."