George Ford has disclosed that the England squad has playfully taunted Marcus Smith over allegedly using Racing 92’s rumored interest as “leverage” during his negotiations for a new contract with Harlequins.
Smith recently ensured his continued availability for Test selection in the foreseeable future by finalizing a fresh deal with the 2020/21 Premiership champions.
“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.”
Interestingly, Ford himself has been linked with a move to Top 14 by The Rugby Paper in recent weeks.
Ford is firmly settled in the North West and would be reluctant to move as long as he remains a part of Steve Borthwick’s England plans. Despite this, a move to Racing 92 could potentially see his season earnings double from £400,000 to approximately £800,000.
England Rugby stars to be joined by their biggest army of WAGS at France World Cup
1. Beth Dolling (Marcus Smith)
Beth Dolling, whose Instagram handle is @bethdolling, is presently romantically involved with Marcus Smith, the fly-half for Harlequins.
Their relationship began in 2019, but the details of their initial encounter remain undisclosed. Beth is not only a model but also a singer, having participated in various campaigns for renowned brands like PrettyLittleThing, Missy Empire, and Rebellious.
She is affiliated with M Models in Manchester and Body London, showcasing glimpses of her fashion shoots on her Instagram story.
With 34,000 followers on Instagram, Beth keeps her fans engaged with her captivating content.
