Unwanted Dolphins centre Valynce Te Whare has signed with Japanese rugby union team the Shizuoka Blue Revs for the upcoming NTT Japan Rugby One 2024-25 season.
Te Whare, who was part of the Redcliffe Dolphins team that lost in the 2024 QLD Cup Final was not offered a new contract from The Dolphins, or other NRL clubs.
Having played 12 games in their 2023 inaugural season, Te Whare couldn't break into Wayne Bennett's starting lineup last season, instead starring for the Redcliffe feeder team in the QLD Cup.
Today, Japanese Rugby Union team Shizuoka Blue Reys announced the signing of the former NRL cult hero on their website.
Based in Iwata, Shizuoka, Japan, the team was founded in 1984 under the name, 'Yamaha Motors Rugby Football Club.' Then in 2022, the team rebranded its name to the Shizouka Blue Revs.
Te Whare has a background in Rugby Union already, commencing his career with Waikato in the National Provincial Championship in 2019, before moving to the King Country Rugby Union team and eventually the Redcliffe Dolphins when he made the switch to the 13-man code.
The NTT Japan Rugby One season begins on the 21st December when Te Whare's Blue Revs take on the Kobelco Kobe Steelers.