George Ford has revealed that England’s players have playfully teased Marcus Smith about using the rumored interest from Racing 92 as a bargaining chip in his contract negotiations with Harlequins.
Smith recently secured his availability for Test selection in the foreseeable future by extending his contract with the 2021 Gallagher Premiership champions.
The French club Racing 92, set to be led by former England coach Stuart Lancaster in the upcoming season, had reportedly considered the 24-year-old as a potential replacement for Finn Russell, who is heading to Bath.
“There has been a fair bit of joking going on,” Ford said of his fellow fly-half.
“Whatever the rumours were about Racing a few weeks ago, everyone was saying, ‘you were always going to stay at Quins, you were just using that as a bit of leverage’.
“I’ve spoken to him, obviously he’s delighted to be staying, it’s his club and the influence he has on that team is incredible so I’m sure everyone at Quins will be buzzing for him to stay.
“I can only speak for myself but when you’re English and you want to play for England, you’ve got to play for an English club.
“It means a lot to play at club level and international level for us all, it’s no different for Marcus.”
Smith’s new contract now sees him earning a base salary of approximately £520,000 per season. Here’s how his earnings compare to the highest-paid players in the world.
Five highest-paid rugby players in the world:
#5. Owen Farrell (Saracens)
The England captain inked an agreement to remain with Saracens in 2020, securing his tenure until at least the 2023 World Cup. Speculation had arisen earlier this year regarding a substantial new contract that could potentially reach approximately £820,000, though these reports lacked confirmation. It had been disclosed previously that he had deferred 90% of his salary to assist the club in managing the financial challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
