Theo McFarland signs with Saracens
Last week Theodore McFarland signed a contract with Saracens Rugby Club in the UK.
Theo's journey to professional rugby has been an interesting one since he left Moorabbin at the end of the 2017 season to return to Samoa.
Once home Theo joined the SSAB Moamoa Roosters in the local comp where his leadership skills were recognised and he was selected to Captain the team. His good form saw him selected for a combined team to play in the Taula All Stars tournament where he managed to pick up the most valuable player of the tournament.
Then in 2019 he was selected to play for the Savai'i Vikings in the National Provincial PPS Super 9 competition and he once again performed well. It was at this point his sporting choices took him along another path when grabbed the chance to represent Samoa at the South Pacific Games, but in basketball not rugby.
Last year Theo was picked for the Manuma Samoa team that competed in the fledgling Global Rapid Rugby competition and his outstanding performances earned him a contract with the Dallas Jackals Rugby League team to play in America. Unfortunately the COVID` pandemic put a halt to that opportunity and he stayed home and continued to play with the Roosters.
2021 rolled around and Theo's rugby world expanded again when he was selected for the Manu Samoa 7s squad in the lead up to the Olympic qualifiers. But he was also picked for the Manu Samoa 15s squad who were looking to qualify for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. He chose the larger format game and headed to New Zealand to play the Maori All Blacks and Tonga. It was a great choice as he played exceedingly well, helping Samoa to qualify for the World Cup and catching the eye of the European clubs.
Saracens picked him up to bolster their squad as the move back up into the Premiership competition. At 115kg and 6ft 6” Saracens are looking forward to his arrival and are excited about his potential development during him time with them.
Saracens open the new season on September 17th against Bristol Bears and we are looking forward to watching Theo start his new journey and would like to wish him all the best.