England is concerned about the fitness of prop Ellis Genge ahead of their tour to New Zealand, as the Bristol Bears loosehead is set to undergo a scan for a calf injury.
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Genge was helped off the field during Bristol’s victory over Harlequins on the final day of the Premiership season after going down in a first-half scrum.
The 29-year-old was seen wearing a moon boot and using crutches at the full-time whistle, with a scan planned to assess the severity of his injury.
“He popped a calf in the scrum,” said Bristol boss Pat Lam. “We don’t know how bad it is, but for him to come off and be in a moon boot afterward is a sign.
“We don’t know exactly how long it will be. Hopefully for England, it won’t be as bad as it looks.”
After the game, Genge released a statement after Bristol failed to reach the play-offs. He wrote: “Season full of ups and downs for many a reason, thank you to the ever faithful @BristolBears supporters, couldn’t get it done for you this time round, we will learn from this and be stronger for it.”
Owen Farrell is now the highest-paid rugby player in the world, Maro Itoje fifth
As reported by Wales Online, let’s delve deeper into the earnings of today’s highest-paid rugby players.
Handre Pollard (South Africa) – £610,000
Formerly earning over £1 million at Montpellier, Pollard took a pay cut at Leicester Tigers, now earning £610,000 annually.
Steven Luatua (Samoa) – £620,000
Representing Samoa post-All Black career, Luatua earns £620,000 yearly at Bristol Bears since 2017.
Antoine Dupont (France) – £700,000
Toulouse’s star scrum-half, Dupont, commands a reported £700,000 salary, possibly changing due to Olympic Sevens and potential Japanese stint.
Dan Biggar (Wales) – £800,000
Biggar’s move to Toulon from Northampton Saints saw a salary boost to £800,000, making him Wales’ highest-paid player.
Siya Kolisi (South Africa) – £800,000
Siya Kolisi, the inspirational Springbok captain, has enjoyed considerable success both on and off the field. His reported salary of £800,000 at Racing 92 reflects his value to the team and his standing as one of the sport’s most influential figures.
Maro Itoje (England) – £800,000
Maro Itoje, the towering English lock, has been the subject of considerable speculation regarding his future earnings. While his reported salary of £800,000 with Saracens is impressive, potential hybrid deals with the RFU could see his income increase even further, highlighting his importance to both club and country.
