Former Wallabies winger Clyde Rathbone has signed a one-year deal with Super 15 rugby’s ACT Brumbies, returning to the club he retired from three years ago.

The 31-year-old South Africa-born Rathbone spent the past few weeks training with his old club in a bid to secure a contract.

Rathbone, who played 26 tests for Australia and 49 for the Brumbies, was encouraged back to the game by friend and Brumbies coach Jake White. White was coach and Rathbone captain when the South African under-21s won the junior World Cup in 2002, shortly before Rathbone migrated to Australia.

White said Thursday “from the first time I saw Clyde play as a youngster I knew there was something special about him.”