External links
- Darby Lancaster at ItsRugby.co.uk
| Born | 23 April 2003 Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 95 kg (209 lb; 14 st 13 lb) [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | The Scots College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of New South Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Darby Lancaster (born 23 April 2003) is an Australian rugby union player who plays for the Western Force in the Super Rugby. His playing position is wing, [2] and is most often deployed on the left-side.
Darby Lancaster was born and raised in Kempsey [1] on the mid-North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. [3] [4] He played junior rugby for the Kempsey Cannonballs Junior Rugby Club, [4] a few year after Waratahs teammate Triston Reilly. [5] He attended The Scots College in Sydney, and was apart of the teams 1st XV. While playing rugby at The Scots College, Lancaster tore his ACL and thought he'd never play rugby again. However, he received a contract to play for the Australia sevens team after school, and joined the team on the 2021–22 World Rugby Sevens Series. [6]
Lancaster studied at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). [7]
Lancaster's performances for the Australia sevens team earned him a contract for the Super Rugby side Melbourne Rebels, [8] where he was named in the Rebels squad for the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season. [9] Before the start of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season, Lancaster was recalled to the Australian Sevens team for the Perth event in the 2023–24 circuit off the back of strong performances in 2023. [10] Lancaster played nine matches for the Rebels in 2024, all as a first-team wing. [11] He scored four tries overall, [11] and achieved a hat-trick in their 47–31 victory against the Highlanders in Round 8 of the season. [12]
Following 2024, the Melbourne Rebels team was axed from the Super Rugby, [13] [14] which saw a mass exodus of their players to other teams in the competition. [15] Lancaster thus joined the New South Wales Waratahs in his home state for the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season. [16] [17] Lancaster was the third confirmed former Rebels player signed by the Waratahs (after Andrew Kellaway and Taniela Tupou). Lancaster featured in the opening trial and earned eight appearances through to May, [18] scoring 20 points (four tries). [11] Despite mixed team results—including losses to the Hurricanes, Reds, Crusaders, and Blues, Lancaster remained a consistent selection on the wing. [11] His performance peaked during the British & Irish Lions tour, [19] where he scored a try and earned selection in the AUNZ Invitational XV, another milestone in his young career.
In late August 2025 it was confirmed that Lancaster had signed for Australian rival Super Rugby team, the Western Force for their 2026 season. [20] Lancaster reportedly turned down an offer from English Premiership team Newcastle Red Bulls. [20]
He was named in the Australia U20 squad in 2023. [21] Lancaster started on the right-wing in two of Australia's three matches in the 2022 Oceania Rugby Under 20 Championship. [11] He scored one try. [11] He was called-up to the teams following World Rugby U20 Championship in 2023 [22] where he made three appearances, scoring two tries overall from the left-wing. [11]
Following his first professional season in rugby union (2024), Lancaster was called-up to the Australia squad ahead for their July Test against Georgia at the Sydney Football Stadium. [4] [23] Lancaster started on the left-wing for Australia in a 40–29 victory. [24] At the end of the year, Lancaster was called-up to the Australia A squad [25] where he played one game against England A. [11]
