The Waratahs have strengthened their squad for 2011 by securing the signature of backrower Ben Mowen for next season.
Mowen established himself in the NSW pack last year and has maintained his position in 2010 having now played 19 straight Super 14 matches.
Queensland born and bred and a former squad member with the Reds, Mowen has settled his life in Sydney and is happy to be staying for another season.
"It was an exciting opportunity to join a very strong squad moving down at the end of 2007," Mowen said.
"And I have very much enjoyed the team dynamic since I have been here."
"2008 was always going to be a big challenge to make the match day 22 but I gave it a dig and that's all I could have asked for that year. 2009 presented more opportunity and I enjoyed being part of a pretty successful year for the team although we just missed the finals."
Mowen suffered a knee injury in the late stages of the 2009 Shute Shield and missed a Grand Final appearance with Randwick, however a committed off-season rehabilitation program has the backrower back on the field ahead of schedule.
"I was very determined not to miss any of the Super 14," Mowen said.
"I wanted to be back and part of the strong team dynamic we had at the end of 2009. It’s a special feeling to play a part in this side."
"You can certainly see this season that the squad has produced so much depth. That says a lot about the culture that has developed over the past few years and I feel privileged to be a part of this team moving forward."
Mowen represented Australian Schools out of Brisbane's Villanova College, going on to become captain of the Queensland Under-19s and also the skipper of the Australian Under-21 side which finished runners-up at the 2005 IRB World Championship.
An Australian representative at Sevens, he made his State and Super Rugby debut for Queensland against the Sharks in 2006, and despite going on to earn six more caps for the Reds, didn't make another Super Rugby appearance for his home state.
Mowen headed to Sydney late in 2007 to join the Waratahs and was named skipper in his first ever match, a trial against his former state on Australia Day in 2008.
He also captained the Junior Waratahs on their 2008 Development Tour of Fiji before establishing himself in the NSW match day 22 in 2009.