Harlequins have confirmed that England and British & Irish Lions fly-half Marcus Smith, has signed a contract extension to stay at the Twickenham Stoop. Smith is set to remain in the famous Quins quarters beyond the 2023/24 Premiership season.
This comes as a relief to Harlequins fans, following speculation that the 24-year-old was departing the club. Transfer speculation has been high, with expectations that Smith could well follow his England teammates Jack Willis and Henry Arundell with a deal in the French Top 14.
Commenting on his new contract, Smith said: “I love the Club, it’s been my home since the age of 14 and I want to repay the faith shown in me and help Quins win trophies. We have unfinished business, we want to challenge for titles and create more memories for our supporters.
“The Club has always been a very special place for me and my family. Working my way through the Academy and into the senior squad has been a great experience and I have loved every minute of it. I can’t wait to pull on the Quarters next season and run out at The Stoop.”
Harlequins Director of Rugby Billy Millard added: “We’re delighted Marcus has extended his contract. He is a key member of our squad who displays outstanding commitment to his training and game development. We’re looking forward to the impact Marcus will have in Quins colours next season and beyond.”
Smith has achieved 140 Quins appearances and racked up a points tally of 1,287 since his senior debut in 2017/18. His prolific career to date has featured numerous accolades, including the famous comeback against Exeter Chiefs in the 2020/21 title winning season. Smith finished as the Premiership’s top point-scorer with 278 points, helping Quins clinch the Gallagher Premiership Final with a 40-38 win.
A Brighton College graduate, Smith grew up in Singapore before moving to the UK at the age of 13. He enjoyed age-grade honours with England U17, U18 and U20, before earning his senior debut against the USA in 2021. A week later he was called up to the British & Irish Lions squad and kicked all seven conversions in the tour match against the DHL Stormers.
Smith has since achieved 21 caps for England, scoring 152 points. Following another impressive 2022/23 season for Quins, which saw the fly-half reach 1,000 Premiership points, Smith has been selected in Steve Borthwick’s 2023 Rugby World Cup training squad.
Highest-paid rugby players in the world 2023: Who earns the most?
Some rugby players earn vast sums of money every year and we’ve rounded up the highest-paid stars in the world in 2023.
They say money makes the world go round – and that’s certainly true about the game of rugby.
Two teams of 15 players throwing and kicking a ball around a pitch is big business, although the most amount of cash can be found kicking about in Europe’s top leagues.
The biggest earners in the game are well remunerated for their efforts, with ageing aces at the end of their careers and up-and-coming talents equally adept at bagging mega-money contracts.
RUCK.co.uk examines the top 10 highest-paid players in the world. We’ve based our figures on reports from trusted news sources and databases to boost our accuracy.
All figures mentioned are before tax – unless specified – and do not include bonuses, extra fees and players’ various sponsorship deals which, in some cases, can instantly double their annual income.
Get your tickets to the Rugby World Cup matches at viagogo, the world’s leading ticket marketplace. Find out how by clicking here.
Highest-paid rugby players in the world 2023
6. Marcus Smith (Leicester Tigers) – £640,000
Smith’s contract, initially set to end after the 2023/24 season, has been extended with a new “multi-year” agreement. This contract is believed to span at least two years, with an additional “plus one” option, ensuring that Smith will remain in the Premiership throughout the next World Cup cycle.
Known for his electrifying skills, Smith played a pivotal role in leading Harlequins to the Premiership title in 2021, a feat that earned him a call-up to the Lions for their tour of South Africa.
5. Antoine Dupont (Toulouse) – £700,000
The Les Bleus’ talisman is undoubtedly leading one of the most exciting teams on the international stage, all while helping to change the perception of the sport.
