O'Connor was expected to re-sign for 2012 after rival clubs the Brumbies and the Reds gave up on his signature last week.
But Force boss Vern Reid announced the Perth club's offer to extend O'Connor's contract was taken off the table on Wednesday morning.
"We presented James with extremely generous terms which reflected his talent and standing at the Western Force," he said in a statement.
"We were fully committed to giving James every opportunity to continue his development... however it is clear his final decision has been based on other factors.
"We're still a young club and it is fundamental in our development that everyone is committed to building a cohesive culture.
"It is with a great deal of regret that we will farewell James, however we can be certain that we did everything we could to retain his services and that our offer was fair and reasonable."
It has been reported the Rebels are waiting for the Australian Rugby Union to sign off on the deal before announcing O'Connor's signature.
Should O'Connor indeed join the Rebels, the 20-year-old utility back will link with good friend and Wallabies teammate Kurtley Beale, who's leaving the Waratahs for Melbourne in 2012.
The star backline duo will dramatically strengthen a Rebels line-up that has struggled this season with the competition newcomers in last position on the Super Rugby table.
O'Connor has also played 27 Tests for the Wallabies and will be a key member of Robbie Deans' Wallabies squad at the upcoming World Cup in New Zealand.
-ABC/AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, australia, vic, melbourne-3000, wa, perth-6000 First posted June 15, 2011 12:14:00
No comments:
Post a Comment