Scarlets are delighted to confirm that Tongan international lock Sam Lousi has committed his future to the club by signing a new deal.
The 32-year-old second row has established himself as a key figure in the Scarlets squad since his arrival in Llanelli from Super Rugby franchise the Hurricanes in 2019.
An athletic line-out operator with a superb off-loading game, Sam has been voted the Scarlets’ players’ player of the season for the last two years.
He featured for Tonga at the Rugby World Cups in Japan and France, having played rugby league for NRL side the New Zealand Warriors and Super Rugby in Australia for the Waratahs before his stint in Wellington.
Scarlets announced Sam’s re-signing at a supporters event at Parc y Scarlets on Tuesday evening and head coach Dwayne Peel has hailed the news as a massive boost for the squad for the seasons ahead.
He said: “It is fantastic news that Sam has signed a new deal. He is a key figure for us, an international second row with a huge amount of experience and a player who leads by example.
“From our conversations with Sam, he has faith in what we are building and our ambitions here at the Scarlets. We are a young squad and having someone of Sam’s stature in our leadership group can only help in bringing through the emerging talent we have at the club.”
Sam Lousi said: “Myself and my family are delighted to be staying here with the Scarlets, a place we have made our home for the last five years.
“It has been a tough season, but the club has a clear vision for the coming years and I am looking forward to being part of that.
“The supporters have given us amazing support since I have been here and hopefully we can reward them with some big performances in our remaining matches this season.”
Sam becomes the latest player to sign a new contract, following Wales internationals Tom Rogers and Harri O’Connor, as well as back-rowers Ben Williams and Dan Davis. Scarlets have also announced the signing of hooker Marnus van der Merwe from Toyota Cheetahs, while flanker Jarrod Taylor arrived from the Stormers in January.