The Scarlets have signed Australian lock Steve Cummins from Super Rugby franchise Melbourne Rebels.
The 25-year-old former Australia Under 20s forward is set to link up with the region at the end of November and will be seen as a replacement for Tadhg Beirne, who is returning to Ireland at the end of the season to join Munster.
Cummins made 15 appearances for the Rebels in 2017 and was contracted through to next year but the Rebels have granted an early release.
Cummins has represented New South Wales and Australian Schoolboys, captaining the side in 2010. He went on to represent Australia Under 19s and 20s, featuring in the 2012 Junior World Rugby Championships in Cape Town, as well representing Eastern Province Kings in the Currie Cup (2014) and captaining Melbourne Rising.
Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac said: “Steve is an experienced lock forward with a high work rate but is also a natural leader. His credentials speak for themselves having started every Super Rugby game for the Melbourne Rebels in 2017.
“A former junior international, and with a wealth of experience in Super Rugby, Steve is a lineout technician that will bring a different dimension to our game going forward and is a high calibre player who is available all year round.”
Jon Daniels, Scarlets general manager, said: “We are delighted to confirm that Steve Cummins is joining the Scarlets. Securing the right quality of player, both on and off the field, is crucial for us as a group with camaraderie and team environment equally as important as on-field performance.
“The need for non-Welsh qualified players is more relevant to us than ever now with 15 players on international duty and bringing in the right player, who will be available to us all season, to compliment our home-grown talent, is something that is crucial to our strategic aims and has proved to be very effective in recent seasons.”
