The Tahs’ breakthrough hooker has rejected a two-year contract to join the English club.

Hooker Julian Heaven, one of the biggest discoveries of the Waratahs’ difficult 2024 season, has confirmed he will leave Daceyville after the end of the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season.

The product of St Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill, Heaven, has been parachuted from Shute Shield side Eastern Suburbs to Darren Coleman’s Super Rugby side in 2024 as Dave Porecki’s injury guarantee amid a serious injury crisis for the Waratahs.

However, despite significant progress, Heaven has excelled at a higher level, making his debut in the Waratahs’ Super Round win over the Crusaders and earning four starting caps and four bench caps in the 2024 season.

Despite the Waratahs offering a two-year extension beyond 2025, Heaven is now set to begin his rugby career in England after the end of the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season.

“We have had discussions with Julian and his management team and have attempted to retain him,” Waratahs acting general manager Andrew Cleverley said in an official press statement.

“We look forward to Julian focusing on and enjoying a successful 2025 season.”

Heaven previously spent two years playing for top 14 side Lyon in 2020, earning two caps and progressing through the French side’s academy program. While in France, he left his family heritage behind and was selected as a member of the Spain U20 national team. However, he has not played for Spain since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He returned to Sydney in 2022 and previously played at Gordon, where he played 17 of 18 regular season games before moving to Easts, where he caught the eye of Waratahs coach Darren Coleman.

Heaven will be part of a re-formed Waratahs squad for the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season and will compete for a starting spot in the newly minted Waratahs team alongside former Wallaby captain Dave Porecki, Shute Shield and Major League Rugby title winner Mahe Vailanu It will. Ethan Dobbins, Melbourne Rebels.

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