Elsom returns to the Waratahs

Sydney - Former Wallabies captain Rocky Elsom has signed a two-year deal with the Waratahs, a team he played with for five years before moving to Europe.

The experienced flank, in New Zealand for the World Cup, played 66 times for the Waratahs between 2003 and 2008 before heading to Irish club Leinster, where he won the Heineken Cup in 2009.

Shortly after his return to Australia, Elsom was named Wallabies captain and spent the last two seasons with the Brumbies, before announcing his return to Sydney next year.

"I see that as a really important thing that they've got a bloke that's very well respected at the helm," Elsom said in Auckland of new Waratahs' coach Michael Foley.

"A head coach is particularly important and it helps bring good players to an organisation when they have faith in the coach and his ability to turn out a good side, and also improve you as players.

"They've lost a couple of key blokes - obviously (Melbourne-bound) Kurtley (Beale) is not there any more, which is a big loss - but I think the grounding in the coach and assistant coach (Alan Gaffney) is a really good start to the season.

Foley said Elsom, 28, who was dumped as national skipper just ahead of the World Cup, strengthened the team's roster.

"When you're recruiting you're always looking for the best players to fill vacancies in your squad and when Rocky came off contract we knew he was the best person to fill that back row place we had available," said Foley.

"Rocky's a very special player; he has a great skill-set and when he's at his best there's no doubt that he's one of the leading backrowers in the world.

"The fact that he has played at a number of teams now and decided to return to the Waratahs shows he has a lot of belief in where this squad can go in the next couple of years."

Since his debut in 2005, Elsom has won 70 Test caps, 24 of them as captain.