Rugby: Rebels sign O'Connor

The Melbourne Rebels have confirmed they have signed James O'Connor from Western Force on a two-year deal.

After months of speculation over his future, the Force withdrew their offer for the 20-year-old on Wednesday, opening the door for the Rebels to land their man.
"James is one of the most promising talents in world rugby and we are delighted that he is joining the Rebels," said Rebels boss Steve Boland.
"James' ambitions are very much in line with ours at the Rebels. We are in the process of building a culture that will help us achieve our goals both on and off the field.
"We don't just want good rugby players, but also individuals who are willing to challenge themselves. Balance in life is an important part of our club."
O'Connor is the second high-profile Australia outside back to link with the Rebels for 2012 after Kurtley Beale also joined the club from the Waratahs.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans was delighted that O'Connor has stuck with the ARU for another two years and was looking forward to seeing his impact at the World Cup.
"While James has already made a significant impact in his career to date, there is a lot more that can be achieved and he is striving for that," Deans said.
"The last three years have provided a good base. We are all going to be working hard to make sure that there is a lot more to come.
"I never doubted his commitment to Australian rugby and the Wallabies - that shows in his everyday work."
O'Connor was the second youngest ever Wallaby when he made his Test debut off the bench against Italy at Padua in November 2008, at the age of 18 years and 126 days.
Seven months later he became the first Australian player to score three tries on his run-on debut, when he achieved the feat against Italy in Canberra.
Now a regular in the Test side, O'Connor started 2011 having played more Tests for his country (27) than he had played Super Rugby matches for the Western Force (25).
Last year he became the second youngest player to post 100 Test points behind England's Rugby World Cup-winning fly-half Jonny Wilkinson.
The Rebels have also secured centre Mitch Inman from the Force for the next two years, as well as re-signing hooker Ged Robinson until the end of the 2013 season