St George Illawarra have secured a massive NRL pathways coup, signing one of New Zealand’s brightest schoolboy rugby union prospects from powerhouse Auckland Grammar School.
Described by scouts as a “blue-chip talent”, the 16-year-old Walker was highly sought after by both rugby codes before deciding to pursue a career in rugby league.
Code Sports also revealed that he will join the St George Dragons Harold Matthews Cup (Under-17) squad in Sydney as part of the club’s junior development pathway.
Rokko Walker, a standout First XV five-eighth at the elite Auckland Grammar is widely regarded as an “All Blacks factory” and has committed to a four-year deal with the Dragons, marking another major win for the NRL in rugby union–dominated New Zealand.
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As part of the move, Walker will also attend Cranbrook School in Bellevue Hill, which is one of Sydney’s top private schools, following a growing trend of NRL pathway prospects combining elite education with rugby league training.
Walker’s switch to league mirrors that of Sydney Roosters rookie James Finegan, son of Wallabies legend Owen Finegan, who also chose the NRL over rugby union.
Like Finegan, Rokko Walker boasts impressive rugby pedigree.
His father, Willie Walker, is a former Highlanders five-eighth who played professionally for Gloucester and Worcester in England’s Premiership Rugby.
Walker is expected to relocate to Australia later this year to link up with the Dragons for pre-season training, where head coach Shane Flanagan will get an early look at the talented young playmaker.
Meanwhile, the South Sydney Rabbitohs have landed another cross-code coup of their own, signing Saumaki Saumaki, a standout First XV loosehead prop from Nelson College, on a two-year deal.
Saumaki, considered one of New Zealand’s top teenage rugby talents, will join the Rabbitohs’ development system as part of the NRL’s expanding footprint in New Zealand rugby.