![\"Jonathan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/8a92e85b45a90780f82a70f6bc716cdfce4ba7c1.png\")
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April 27, 2026 \u2014 12:04pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n Save this article for later<\/p>\n Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.<\/p>\n Got it<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n After signing British and Irish Lions stars Finn Russell and Henry Pollock to his stable of world-famous boxers, leading promoter Eddie Hearn has Wallabies and Waratahs star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii on his radar ahead of his return from injury on Friday against the Western Force in Sydney.<\/p>\n Suaalii has been limited to just two Super Rugby games this season after injuring his hamstring, and is in line to take on fellow code-hopper Zac Lomax in his return. Lomax has impressed in his early outings for the Force.<\/p>\n Hearn initially signed Pollock and Russell after seeing untapped potential in rugby. Ahead of next year\u2019s World Cup in Australia, Hearn admitted Suaalii\u2019s name has come up frequently in his Matchroom Sport boardroom just outside London.<\/p>\n Waratahs coach Dan McKellar acknowledged the effect of Suaalii\u2019s absence after his side\u2019s loss to the Crusaders in Christchurch on Friday<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a player we\u2019ve missed. In the 23 games [we\u2019ve played], he\u2019s played eight since he\u2019s been here,\u201d McKellar said. \u201cI hope we can turn that around to help us achieve what we want to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n Hearn will be keeping close tabs on Suaalii\u2019s return this week, given he is in Melbourne to promote an interim WBC bantamweight title fight between former Olympian Skye Nicholson and Mariah Turner.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve probably had well over 20 [rugby] players come on, female and male worldwide, and we\u2019re not really looking to create a rugby agency, if I\u2019m honest, but what we will do is take on extraordinary talent, and with massive star potential,\u201d Hearn said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m aware of him [Suaalii], because now we\u2019re actually invested [in rugby], and my board will say to me, this guy [Suaalii], and he\u2019s come up many times in conversations. Yeah, listen, pass on my number, and when I\u2019m there [in Australia]. I\u2019ll have a little coffee with him, you never know.\u201d<\/p>\n Suaalii is managed by powerful Australian agent Isaac Moses. Moses has overseen Suaalii\u2019s growing career and been able to secure lucrative deals in league and union.<\/p>\n Hearn\u2019s Matchroom Sport has some of boxing\u2019s biggest names on its books, including former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. It also has interests in snooker and darts.<\/p>\n Hearn has been surprised at the public\u2019s reaction to the Pollock signing, which has encouraged him to expand his interests in rugby.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is creating such interest, and maybe that says something about rugby \u2013 it\u2019s a different audience and a different kind of people,\u201d Hearn said.<\/p>\n \u201cLike, I went on holiday to a very nice resort that\u2019s full of a lot of people with a lot of money, and I got swamped about Henry Pollock. There were kids coming up, and they\u2019ve all got Pollock shirts, they\u2019re all doing this.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s the kind of guy that is going to drive rugby at grassroots level. Who else is going to do that?<\/p>\n \u201cOur simple job is to grow their profiles and drive commercial revenue for them as an agency.\u201d<\/p>\n Hearn has previously been approached by rugby league officials in England to help drive the sport in its northern heartlands, but for the moment, his focus remains in rugby.<\/p>\n Related Article In boxing, Hearn has a long history of using personalities to drive the fights he is promoting, and he believes Australian rugby stars could have the same potential.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re [rugby stars] massive in a small pond, but there\u2019s a whole world out there and I think, really, there needs to be a little bit more of a globalisation of the sport,\u201d Hearn said.<\/p>\n Watch every match of Super Rugby Pacific<\/a> live and exclusive on Stan Sport<\/a>. <\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Joseph-Aukuso](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/f79f789f81ef90054c6943888cab543f16b1833b.jpeg\")
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is on the radar of world famous boxing promoter Eddie Hearn.Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Eddie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/6c04530b2025bf468d958cab5240387a34f67626.jpeg\")
Eddie Hearn has promoted some of boxing\u2019s biggest fighters, including Canelo Alvarez (left) and Dmitry Bivol.AP<\/p>\n![\"English](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/9b31c327a5c794c495814f2f83630b64bffc0af7.jpeg\")
English rugby star Henry Pollock is now managed by influential boxing promoter Eddie Hearn\u2019s Matchroom Sports.Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Waratahs](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/a8b5d20ba7e85bf36908815ece180ab09e1b8593.jpeg\")
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