A key building block in the front-row has been secured with Zane Nonggorr re-signing for three years with the Queensland Rugby Union and Rugby Australia.
The QRU and RA are delighted to today confirm the 126kg tighthead prop's future has been locked in through 2029.
The Queensland Reds prop has been diligently building his experience and impact with 62 caps for his state and 19 Tests for the Wallabies.
"It's really good to have this security locked in. I can focus on footy and getting better," said Nonggorr, a product of The Southport School.
"I feel the standard at training and the competition for spots is really high for the Reds and Wallabies in the front-row positions. That's what you want in teams that are pushing to do well in competitions.
"I do feel a level of experience but I still feel I have a lot to learn. Every game, every team, is different. It doesn't matter how many games you play, you have to treat every one as a brand new challenge and be ready to adapt on the run."
Nonggorr is in his seventh season as Reds player #1354 at just 25. The competitive training environment has been a plus from the start.
"Sometimes it is said that the best coach is the person you are training with and that is especially true in the front-row," Nonggorr said.
"In my time, the Reds have always had strong front-rows. Taniela Tupou and 'BPA' (Brandon Paenga-Amosa) were here when I started. Now it's props like Jeffery (Toomaga-Allen), Aidan Ross, Massimo (De Lutiis), George Blake, Nick Bloomfield, Trevor King and the three quality hookers we have.
"We're all helping each other get better.
"For me, my biggest improvement over the past two seasons has been workrate. It's movement around the field so I'm getting more involved, like hitting more rucks, reloading after set pieces and so on. I'm very excited to keep working on my game for the next three years at the Reds."
Nonggorr said the coaching expertise at the Reds was a further factor in backing Queensland as home.
"'Choc' (assistant coach Zane Hilton) has had a big impact on me with nailing finer details in scrummaging and the mentality around attacking that area. His detail around lineouts and maul defence, for example, is some of the best in Super Rugby," Nonggorr said.
"'Fish' (assistant coach Jonathan Fisher) brings the detail around carrying and cleaning and Brad Davis is very good as a defensive coach."
Nonggorr said the rush on tickets for the 2027 Rugby World Cup had amplified what a home tournament will be like.
"It's very exciting because it's now so close. A lot of people are talking about it, the number of tickets being sold is cool and you can see rugby growing in Australia with the anticipation," Nonggorr said.
"It's exciting to be a part of this period in the game and hopefully I'll be able to play for the Wallabies this year if I perform for the Reds. First things first and that's playing well in Super Rugby.
"Having played some Test rugby, you know how good you have to be to reach that level. My goal is to perform more consistently to that level and express that in Super Rugby to earn the chance again."
Reds Head Coach Les Kiss said the Nonggorr re-signing was a major plus.
"'Noggsy' has a lot of valuable experience as a young international front-rower and is on an upward trajectory with his career. He's shown very good improvement over the past two or three years," Kiss said.
"There's lots of belief he will continue to do so for Queensland and Australian Rugby. He's also an important and respected member of our locker room at the Reds." Rugby Australia Director of High Performance Peter Horne said: “Zane has made strong progress in the last few seasons.
"At just 25, he has already passed 50 games for the Reds and is one match away from 20 Tests with the Wallabies. With continued hard work and improvement, he has the potential to become an excellent contributor to Queensland and Australian Rugby.
“Zane provides strength and depth to our front-row stocks and we are pleased he has re-committed to Australian Rugby and as we build towards a home Rugby World Cup.”
Position: Prop
Height: 186cm
Weight: 126kg
Born: 30/03/2001
Birthplace: Cairns
Senior club: Bond University
School: The Southport School
Queensland Reds debut: 2020 v NSW Waratahs, Sydney
Reds caps: 62
Wallabies debut: 2023 v South Africa, Pretoria
Wallabies caps: 19
