Rocky Elsom has officially brought the curtain down on his Leinster sojourn by signing a two-year deal with the ACT Brumbies. Elsom, the driving force behind Leinster’s Heineken Cup success, had always maintained he would return to Australian this summer in order to resume his international career.

Elsom’s deal with the Brumbies and the Australian Rugby Union will take him up until the end of the 2011 World Cup.

Leinster had been willing to offer a lucrative package in an effort to keep the 26-year-old in Dublin and had hope to agree a deal with the ARU that would allow him to play for both province and country.

Unfortunately for Leinster, officials were unable to broker a deal and for Elsom, who had only ever planned to spend a year in Ireland, playing for Australia remains his “number one priority”.

“I loved my time at Leinster and feel very fortunate to have been part of a great team and such a successful season,” Elsom said. “My career in the near future is in Australia with the Wallabies, but I can’t say enough how much I’ve appreciated the support of the Leinster public and the team at Leinster.”

A disappointed Michael Cheika explained the province had done everything in their power to keep the player, adding: “Rocky really wanted to stay at Leinster and also represent his country in Test match rugby — which is the highest honour for any player.

“Up until today we had been negotiating with the ARU to secure this scenario but unfortunately the ARU would not allow it and told him that to play for the Wallabies he had to be playing with an Australian franchise.

“Rocky’s desire to play Test rugby has to be respected and we wish him well with that and thank him for his contribution to the club and all its supporters. We hope to see him back in the Leinster blue one day.”

ARU chief executive John O’Neill described Elsom’s decision to return home as “a good news story of massive proportions”.

Elsom was widely regarded as the best player in Europe this season and O’Neill said: “Let no-one try to diminish the importance of this deal. When we let Rocky go last year there were personal circumstances that he raised which we took into consideration.

“What we did do was act in his best interests and let him head to Ireland early. Rocky has repaid that goodwill by returning when he suggested he might. Those who said we paid a king’s ransom to get him back are wrong.

“I have seen numbers tossed around that bear absolutely no relationship to reality and Rocky deserves enormous credit in that regard. His negotiations on terms were consistent the whole way through.

“We were hoping Rocky’s desire to play for the Wallabies would be irresistible and see him back here and available for the 2009 international season. We are delighted to say that situation is where we are today.”