One-Test England international Nic Dolly will remain at the Western Force until the end of 2028 after penning a contract extension with the Super Rugby Pacific outfit. Dolly has previously spoken about a desire to wear Wallaby gold, which would be a history-making feat.
No man has ever played Test rugby for both nations, but with Dolly earning one cap for England in 2021 before making the move Down Under, the 25-year-old’s re-commitment to the Force seems like another step towards making that incredible sporting dream a reality.
Dolly make the move to Australia’s west coast after a successful stint with English Premiership side Leicester Tigers, and the hooker has since gone on to make three starts in as many appearances for the Force.
It’s competitive at the Perth-based club, with Wallaby Brandon Paenga-Amosa and the currently injured Tom Horton also fighting for that No. 2 jersey, but Sydney-born Dolly has embraced that challenge and will continue to do so for the next few years.
“What they’re trying to build over here is long-term success and you can only have that with a good strong squad with depth,” Dolly said in a statement. “With the signings they’re making, I wanted to stay long-term.
“That’s one of many things, Perth is a beautiful spot, the boys here are great and the coaching staff and playing group are really ambitious. That’s definitely what’s kept me here and what I wanted to achieve over the next three-four years.
“The playing group is really tight, and everyone wants everyone else to do well.
“I look at my position, it’s probably one of the stronger positions within the squad in terms of depth. We push each other but we also want that spot as well.
“I think that’s really healthy to have in the group. The more we see that throughout every position, the better we’ll get.”
Dolly last played for Leicester in a round 17 loss away to Sale in the English Premiership last season, which was the front-rower’s ninth appearance of that campaign. Interestingly, Dolly only scored three tries all season, and all of them were against Ampthill in round three.
But the chance to player Super Rugby with the Force proved too good to turn down, with Dolly impressing for coach Simon Cron’s team so far. The former England rake was part of the Force’s squad that toured South Africa last October.
After kicking on in Super Rugby with 34 tackles, 11 carries and a try so far, it seems Dolly has a bright future ahead of him in Western Australia. Force General Manager of Rugby, Chris Goodman, is delighted the Wallaby hopeful has re-signed with the club.
“From when he arrived and came on that South Africa tour, we knew he was someone we wanted to keep at the club for a long time to build that depth and cohesion,” Goodman explained.
“He’s played with a lot of boys before, so he’s familiar with the group and is a good influence within that.
“Nic brings plenty of excellent facets, namely the accuracy of his throw, his physicality around the field and his professionalism off the field. He leads by example in that space.
“There’s really good competition between him, Tom [Horton] and BPA [Bradon Paenga-Amosa] at hooker. We’ve got a good mixture of players there, who all compliment each other and compete really well.”
