Sef Fa'agase Re-Signs For Reds in 2025

The Queensland Rugby Union has re-signed Sef Fa’agase in a strong signal that the experienced prop has more to give in Super Rugby Pacific.

Fa’agase, 33, has signed a new one-year deal for 2025 which beefs up the prop stocks for the Queensland Reds, who also have Alex Hodgman, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Zane Nonggorr, Matt Gibbon and Massimo De Lutiis on the books.

Fa’agase is delighted to extend his 74-game career for the Reds. No current Reds player started their career at Ballymore earlier than Fa’agase’s debut in 2014.

“The style of play, the team culture and the environment around Ballymore were big plusses in wanting to stay at the Reds,” Fa’agase said.

“I want to be a part of it as long as I can.”

Fa’agase said signing for a ninth season at the Reds also reflects the feeling that the club is on the move under head coach Les Kiss and his staff.

“I love the fact the Reds is not about putting people in boxes to mould players in a particular way. The freedom of self-expression is massive,” Fa’agase said.

“’Bring your best 'you’ within the team environment. I like that.”

The best version of Fa’agase is the versatile prop who played 10 times for the Reds in 2024 and threw all his experience into assignments at loosehead and tighthead as a starter or off the bench.

Fa’agase said the strong group of props and hookers assembled at the Reds is the ideal melting pot to generate improvements.

“We are all in there competing and working on what we need to do to be better,” Fa’agase said.

“The hunger to perform and make my teammates proud is one of my big drivers.

“I think it’s pretty cool that we have props at the Reds at both ends of their footy journey. You have ‘Mass’ at the start of his career, Zane learning in the early stages of his Wallabies career and experienced guys who’ve been at it for a decade or more.

“The young guys, and I include Academy prop Trevor King, are all such sponges and eager to improve. The experience is at the Reds to pass on knowledge which I know is very important because I got those benefits when I first came in as a young prop in 2014.”

Fa’agase’s life is at a different stage to the young buck of a decade ago. With partner Tiffany Corboy, they are now the parents of 18-month-old son Koda.

“Becoming a father is the best thing. It brings a fresh outlook and no two days are the same that’s for sure,” Fa’agase said.

A visit to his junior club at Beaudesert Warriors earlier this season for Reds In Your Club night also reinforced how important the early days of a career are.

It’s a career that has taken him to clubs in New Zealand, Japan and the USA yet his junior memories are still amongst his most vivid.

“In a lot of ways the Beaudesert Warriors club looks the same as when I started there as a 13-year-old. It was pretty cool to see my very first Reds jersey still hanging on the wall,” Fa’agase said.

“I felt closer to mum there. She’d drive me down to play and provide chop suey and rice for the players.”

Fa’agase’s signing is an important one, said Kiss.

“Experienced, versatile props like Sef are highly valued in Super Rugby. Having a strong group of props to challenge themselves and keep improving is a core part of the Reds,” Kiss said.

Sef Fa'agase
Position: Prop
Height: 185cm
Weight: 113kg
Born: 05/03/1991
Place of birth: Auckland, NZ
Senior Club: Sunnybank
School: Shailer Park High School, Sydney
Super Rugby Debut: 2014 v Highlanders, Brisbane (Queensland Reds)
Reds caps: 74
Super Rugby caps: 75 (Queensland Reds 70-Highlanders 3, Melbourne Rebels 2)