Following a monumental season of sporting triumph, Brisbane Broncos and Australian rugby league star Reece Walsh has surprised fans by taking on an entirely new role: an undercover taxi driver.
From Premiership Glory to the Driver's Seat
After guiding the Brisbane Broncos to snap their 19-year wait for a premiership and starring in Australia's Ashes series victory in the UK, Walsh embarked on a unique promotional partnership with rideshare giant DiDi. The 2025 premiership winner underwent a dramatic four-hour makeup transformation to become unrecognisable to the public.
The elaborate disguise involved a prosthetic nose, a wispy fake beard, and a fat suit. Adopting the pseudonym 'Lachie', Walsh borrowed his mother's car and hit the streets of Brisbane to chauffeur unsuspecting DiDi customers around town.
Nerves and Passenger Banter
Speaking to Channel 9, Walsh confessed, ‘I was a bit nervous,’ revealing he felt more anxiety driving customers than playing in the NRL Grand Final. To maintain his cover, he posed as a huge Broncos fan, even hanging an air freshener featuring himself in a Broncos jersey from the rear-view mirror.
DiDi informed passengers they were riding with Queensland's top-rated driver, a claim Walsh humorously referenced. Conversations naturally turned to the Broncos' recent success, with one passenger labelling the real Reece Walsh a ‘flog’, while another praised his Clive Churchill Medallist performance, stating, ‘I’ve never seen someone carry a team like that.’
A Season to Remember and a Career to Stick With
Walsh's undercover adventure caps an extraordinary individual season where he scored 14 tries in 21 games and set up 26 tries, overcoming injuries to help secure the Broncos' first Grand Final victory since 2006.
After dropping his final passengers at a pub, the 23-year-old fullback reflected on his brief foray into the rideshare world, telling Channel 9, ‘I guess I’ll stick to footy I reckon.’ This lighthearted comment comes after Walsh was recently pipped to the 2025 International Rugby League Golden Boot award by Harry Grant, who also beat New Zealand's Dylan Brown.
