Championship side snap up highly-rated young forward from Down Under
The DCBL Stadium, the home of Widnes Vikings
Widnes Vikings have swooped to sign highly-rated young Australian forward Morgan McWhirter from French Elite Championship outfit Limoux Grizzlies on a deal until the end of the 2026 campaign.
McWhirter – who will turn 24 in June – still has commitments to fulfil with Limoux, having helped them into the play-offs over in France following a fifth-place finish in the regular season.
The Grizzlies face Saint-Gaudens Bears in the play-offs this weekend, and should they be eliminated, the versatile forward will make the move to the UK in time to make his Widnes debut against Featherstone Rovers on May 11.
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Championship side snap up highly-rated young forward from Down Under
The 23-year-old made the move to France with Limoux last year having previously plied his trade Down Under in the Queensland Cup having represented the Mackay Cutters, Sunshine Coast Falcons and Townsville Blackhawks.
Between those three teams, McWhirter amassed 41 appearances in the second-grade competition.
After penning his deal with Widnes, he said: “I’m so excited to be joining the team for the rest of this season and 2026.
“I can’t wait to get over there, meet all the fans, and hear some of the brilliant chants that come with the English culture.
“I’m hoping I can bring an extra dimension to the forward pack, I know the fans will be really welcoming and I’m just hoping to repay them by playing some good footy.”
The Vikings – who travel to newly-promoted Hunslet this weekend – sit 7th in the Championship table having taken seven competition points from their first seven league games this term.
Head coach Allan Coleman added: “It’s fantastic to get Morgan over the line. We’ve kept a close eye on him and have been working with his agent for a couple of months now.
“He’s played at a good level in Australia and came through some really great systems.
“Hopefully he’ll come on board and have a big impact for us, he’s renowned for being really aggressive and having great go-forward.”
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