Manu Tuilagi, the England rugby centre, has signed a new one-year contract with Sale Sharks, which has been described as a major boost for the Premiership by the club’s Director of Rugby, Alex Sanderson.
The signing comes at a time when a host of players are leaving England to play for French teams, including Sam Simmonds, Luke Cowan-Dickie, David Ribbans and Joe Marchant, while Jack Willis has signed a new deal with Toulouse.
Under the current eligibility laws of the Rugby Football Union, players who leave the country to play for foreign teams will not be available to head coach Steve Borthwick once the World Cup is over, even though Willis has called for leniency in this regard.
Tuilagi was also rumored to be considering leaving England to play for a foreign team, but his decision to sign a new contract with Sale Sharks has come as a surprise. Sanderson said that the 31-year-old could have named his price to go to either France or Japan, but he chose to stay with Sale Sharks instead.
According to reports, a copy of the fresh contract had been with Tuilagi for the last two weeks, before he finally signed it on Friday morning. Sanderson believes that this shows that English rugby is still an attractive proposition for its leading players, despite the reduction in the salary cap.
Five England stars won’t be able to play again after the 2023 World Cup
Five England international rugby players will not be able to represent their country in the iconic white jersey after announcing their move to France following the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
#1. David Ribbans
Northampton Saints have confirmed that the forward will depart the Club at the end of the 2022/23 season. Reports suggest he will join Toulon.
The 27-year-old lock has pulled on the Black, Green and Gold jersey 115 times to date, starting 98 matches for Northampton and scoring 17 tries so far.
“As a coaching group, we are very proud of the progress Dave has made during his time at Saints,” said Director of Rugby, Phil Dowson.
“He arrived in Northampton as a 21-year-old without many Super Rugby appearances to his name. He will leave as a fully-fledged England international and a proven performer in the Gallagher Premiership, one of the most attritional and competitive leagues in the world.
“You always want to create an environment for players where they can work hard, thrive, win matches and be successful on the international stage. Sometimes, that means players become attractive propositions for other clubs.
“Dave leaves to pursue a playing opportunity in France next season. It’s disappointing to lose a player of his calibre, and we were surprised Dave wanted to leave the Club at this time.
“But he is of course a professional, and will be putting all his efforts in his final months in Northampton to ensure the team is as successful as possible. We will wish him well after that.”
