Siliva Siliva returns to his home town of Melbourne for the 2015 Super Rugby season

Melbourne Rebels Media Release –

The RaboDirect Rebels are pleased to announce the signing of hooker and Endeavour Hills Rugby Club junior, and Brumbies front rower, Siliva Siliva for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

The Melbourne-born youngster will honour his contract with the ACT Brumbies for the 2015 Asteron Life Super Rugby season, having made fourteen Super Rugby appearances for the Brumbies in his three seasons in Canberra thus far, before returning home to work with Tony McGahan and the Rebels’ Rugby program.

His time away from Melbourne has seen Siliva learning from the likes of former Brumbies Director of Rugby Laurie Fisher, regarded as one of the best set piece coaches in the world, and Qantas Wallabies Hooker Stephen Moore, and he will bring elite professionalism and ability to Melbourne and the Rebels.

General Manager of Rugby Operations, Baden Stephenson highlighted the importance of ensuring the Rugby program looks beyond 2015, as well as bringing Victorian talent home to play for their state.

“Siliva is an elite player who brings experience, size and skill in a key position that will add value to our program,” Stephenson said. “We firmly believe Siliva’s best football is ahead of him, and he is passionate about playing for his home state; most importantly, Siliva understands the direction of the Rebels.

“To secure such an integral part of our planning for 2016 and beyond this far in advance is exciting and reflective of the hard work we are putting into our future planning regarding recruitment and retention.”

Siliva said he was excited to return home and play for the Rebels.

“I was born and raised in Melbourne, and it’s where I learnt and played all my footy, so to return with the Rebels is something I hold pretty close to my heart,” he said. “To be closer to my family, after being away for a while, is definitely exciting.

“I really lit up when I signed the contract with the Rebels to come back home. Watching the development of the Rebels since the Club started has been impressive, and I can’t wait to give what I have got to the program and play good football for my new team in my home town.”

A former Australian Schoolboys (2008) and Australia U20s (2011) representative, who also spent the 2010 season at the Western Force, Siliva will have plenty of familiar faces when he makes the move home in 2016.

He played Schoolboys Rugby with Colby Fainga’a and Dom Shipperley in 2008, and he can count Cruze Ah-Nau, Cam Crawford, Fainga’a, Mitch Inman and Luke Jones as former Super Rugby teammates. Siliva also played Australian U20s with Alo-Emile, Fainga’a, Jones, Tim Metcher and Tom Kingston.

The announcement comes hot on the heels of the signing of Box Hill Rugby Club centre Sefanaia Naivalu, and heralds the continued rise of Victorian-trained talent within the Australian Rugby landscape.

“It’s wonderful to see Siliva come home and make the most of an opportunity to represent his home Club in the Rebels,” said Endeavour Hills President Anthony Nelson. “Everybody at Endeavour Hill is proud of him and all he has achieved, and can’t wait to see him with the Five Stars on his chest.”