WORCESTER Warriors fly-half Jono Lance has agreed to join Melbourne Rebels ahead of the 2018 Super Rugby campaign.

The 27-year-old playmaker is now set to return to Australia after his contract at Warriors finishes at the end of this year.

Speculation has been growing over his future with reports in the Australian media suggesting there was a chance the deal at Rebel might not go through.

His Warriors teammate and close friend Michael Dowsett also admitted Lance who joined the club in early October, would consider extending his contract at Sixways.

However, any hopes that Lance could be persuaded to stay have been dashed after the Melbourne outfit announced his capture.

Rebels general manager professional rugby and pathways Nick Ryan said: “As a two-time Super Rugby champion, Jono has a deep understanding of successful high performance environments.

“He will provide us with valuable experience and competition for a number of positions across our backline.”

Lance has made five appearances since joining Warriors, producing a man-of-the-match performance in their 41-35 loss at Harlequins last month.

But the former Western Force ace will be hoping his move to Rebels will boost his chances of achieving his ambition of playing for Australia.

“I’m excited by the opportunity to be a part of a very competitive squad at the Rebels,” Lance said.

“I’m looking forward to contributing to the success of the club on and off the field.”