Transfer news, rumours, suggestions, frenzied speculation, and outright lies - Season 2023-24

[Mellsblue]

Money from the RFU isn't the issue imo. Its money you can earn day to day in the prem plus the environment you are in (ie I don't think its the England set up 'driving' players away (now))- and tbh, I think its an active choice to sample rugby life elsewhere early in an RWC cycle (Arundell/Willis)/late in ones career (Lawes, Ribbans-ish, Sinckler-ish, Simmonds)....or no club to go to in overlapping cases. Reality is French clubs can offer a load more money than ours, with or without the RFU; if the RFU give PRL (even) more money, England (even) more money, where do they reallocate it from? Women? Champ? Community?

Stage 1 of the COVID loans are all starting to be called in from today, btw. That'll focus a few minds.

More money and the knowledge that your team is unlikely to go under and therefore has the ability to honour the entirety of your contract. I doesn’t really matter if the Prem club you play for is financially stable (are there any?!?) as if one or two more go - and there are rumours around some - then the league starts to look pretty unsustainable. There’s only so many ad hoc fixtures the teams can arrange to fill the void weekends.

[FKAS]

This was the last rumour of him leaving he quashed.

Hostage video...

***likealot****

Agreed, the comment was top tier.

[francoisfou]

Jack Maunder has signed a two-year contract with Agen, currently 10th in ProD2, and with an outside chance of reaching the end of season playoffs for promotion to the Top14.
We already know that Courtney Lawes is to join Brive next season, who also have an outside chance of the playoffs.

[Mikey Brown]

Exeter are to sign Ealing prop Jimmy Roots in the summer.

The 24-year-old tight-head is the brother of Exeter's England forward Ethan and is a former New Zealand Under-20s international.

Roots played for North Harbour in the New Zealand's National Provincial Championship before joining English Championship side Ealing in 2021.

Jimmy Roots, like his brother Ethan, is eligible to play for England through his father, despite growing up in New Zealand.

Does it seem odd he'd play NZ U20s and immediately come to the UK to play for Ealing? I'm not sure.

[FKAS]

Exeter are to sign Ealing prop Jimmy Roots in the summer.

The 24-year-old tight-head is the brother of Exeter's England forward Ethan and is a former New Zealand Under-20s international.

Roots played for North Harbour in the New Zealand's National Provincial Championship before joining English Championship side Ealing in 2021.

Jimmy Roots, like his brother Ethan, is eligible to play for England through his father, despite growing up in New Zealand.

Does it seem odd he'd play NZ U20s and immediately come to the UK to play for Ealing? I'm not sure.

Depends why he came I suppose. When Ealing signed him the press release said they'd been monitoring him for a while. If he knew he was EQ and Ealing represented more money more quickly then why not. It's around the same time Ethan came to the UK (signing for Ospreys) so perhaps the whole family came over.

[twitchy]

Exeter are to sign Ealing prop Jimmy Roots in the summer.

The 24-year-old tight-head is the brother of Exeter's England forward Ethan and is a former New Zealand Under-20s international.

Roots played for North Harbour in the New Zealand's National Provincial Championship before joining English Championship side Ealing in 2021.

Jimmy Roots, like his brother Ethan, is eligible to play for England through his father, despite growing up in New Zealand.

Does it seem odd he'd play NZ U20s and immediately come to the UK to play for Ealing? I'm not sure.

Odd in what way?

[Mikey Brown]

Maybe a poor choice of words.

I suppose I figured if he’s in the international reckoning at that level he’d be wanting to push on with a super rugby team. Ealing is nice, but I hadn’t assumed the pay would be something to entice you half way across the world and out of reach of international recognition for NZ

But yeah, maybe being an EQP was a big factor.

[FKAS]

Maybe a poor choice of words.

I suppose I figured if he’s in the international reckoning at that level he’d be wanting to push on with a super rugby team. Ealing is nice, but I hadn’t assumed the pay would be something to entice you half way across the world and out of reach of international recognition for NZ

But yeah, maybe being an EQP was a big factor.

Only five super rugby teams. Good chance he'd have spent a few seasons in the provincial game. If you look at last year's AB under 20 props they have no Super Rugby games between them at this point and one is already playing over in America.

Earnings in NZ provincial rugby are about as good as the Championship if not worse. I presume there's top ups for making Super Rugby training squads and sponsorship deals but Ealing pay alright. Perhaps he saw it as a means to more senior rugby quicker with the option of the English Prem or Super Rugby if he showed up well.

[Puja]

Maybe a poor choice of words.

I suppose I figured if he’s in the international reckoning at that level he’d be wanting to push on with a super rugby team. Ealing is nice, but I hadn’t assumed the pay would be something to entice you half way across the world and out of reach of international recognition for NZ

But yeah, maybe being an EQP was a big factor.

I mean "former NZ U20s international" can really mean anything - he could have 2 minutes off the bench at one point. Given that all.rugby says he never made it into the starting XV for North Harbour's NPC team and has only made 4 PRC appearances for Ealing, I'm not sure that it was the move that killed his hopes of international recognition with NZ.

Puja

[16th man]

I wonder how concerned the ABs are about the switch.

Whilst he may not have been an absolute star of the system, they don't have enough depth to start losing too many youngsters abroad, especially not in positions like prop, where you don't really know how good someone is really going to be until they're 23 24 or possibly older.

[Puja]

I wonder how concerned the ABs are about the switch.

Whilst he may not have been an absolute star of the system, they don't have enough depth to start losing too many youngsters abroad, especially not in positions like prop, where you don't really know how good someone is really going to be until they're 23 24 or possibly older.

I'd be surprised if they even know who he is.

Puja

[Banquo]

I wonder how concerned the ABs are about the switch.

Whilst he may not have been an absolute star of the system, they don't have enough depth to start losing too many youngsters abroad, especially not in positions like prop, where you don't really know how good someone is really going to be until they're 23 24 or possibly older.

I'd be surprised if they even know who he is.

Puja

Indeed. I'm surprised Exeter have signed him, having seen him in the champ

[FKAS]

Leicester Tigers 2023/2024 Farewells

Phil Cokanasiga, Tiger #2381

Nic Dolly, Tiger #2348

Guy Porter, Tiger #2330

Joe Powell, Tiger #2407

Dan Richardson, Tiger #2359

Matt Scott, Tiger #2325

Jasper Wiese, Tiger #2339

Mike Williams, Tiger #2235

Ben Woollett, Tiger #2413

Francois van Wyk, Tiger #2350

Some of those left during the season. Most will have forgotten Ben Woollett actually joined seeing as he's not played even with injury crisis with wingers.

Rumours about Porter heading back to Australia seem likely to be accurate.

[Puja]

Leicester Tigers 2023/2024 Farewells

Phil Cokanasiga, Tiger #2381

Nic Dolly, Tiger #2348

Guy Porter, Tiger #2330

Joe Powell, Tiger #2407

Dan Richardson, Tiger #2359

Matt Scott, Tiger #2325

Jasper Wiese, Tiger #2339

Mike Williams, Tiger #2235

Ben Woollett, Tiger #2413

Francois van Wyk, Tiger #2350

Some of those left during the season. Most will have forgotten Ben Woollett actually joined seeing as he's not played even with injury crisis with wingers.

Rumours about Porter heading back to Australia seem likely to be accurate.

Nic Dolly's a shame. Is he going elsewhere or has injury forced a retirement on him? Porter going to Australia is a shame too. Am I right in thinking that he can't now play for Australia as his only claim was residency and, despite having lived there from ages 7-23, he's not eligible to change under the 3 year rule?

Puja

[FKAS]

Porter not eligible for Aus.

No news on where they are going yet.

[Banquo]

Leicester Tigers 2023/2024 Farewells

Phil Cokanasiga, Tiger #2381

Nic Dolly, Tiger #2348

Guy Porter, Tiger #2330

Joe Powell, Tiger #2407

Dan Richardson, Tiger #2359

Matt Scott, Tiger #2325

Jasper Wiese, Tiger #2339

Mike Williams, Tiger #2235

Ben Woollett, Tiger #2413

Francois van Wyk, Tiger #2350

Some of those left during the season. Most will have forgotten Ben Woollett actually joined seeing as he's not played even with injury crisis with wingers.

Rumours about Porter heading back to Australia seem likely to be accurate.

agent porter did his job well in oz

[FKAS]

Leicester Tigers 2023/2024 Farewells

Phil Cokanasiga, Tiger #2381

Nic Dolly, Tiger #2348

Guy Porter, Tiger #2330

Joe Powell, Tiger #2407

Dan Richardson, Tiger #2359

Matt Scott, Tiger #2325

Jasper Wiese, Tiger #2339

Mike Williams, Tiger #2235

Ben Woollett, Tiger #2413

Francois van Wyk, Tiger #2350

Some of those left during the season. Most will have forgotten Ben Woollett actually joined seeing as he's not played even with injury crisis with wingers.

Rumours about Porter heading back to Australia seem likely to be accurate.

agent porter did his job well in oz

Two try Guy, what a guy.

[Puja]

[FKAS]

[FKAS]

Francois van Wyk to Bath is a rumour.

Vaea Fifita is being offloaded by Scarlets who can't afford to keep him. Number of offers from Prem, France and Japan for the versatile 31 year old Kiwi.

[FKAS]

Not Prem or England linked but amusing in that I thought it was a late April Fools joke.

https://m.independent.ie/sport/rugby/al ... 75741.html

Leinster bring in Jordie Barrett for just over half of next season.

[Puja]

Ah yes, cause what Leinster really desperately needed was yet another world-class talent in their team. That's just cruel to the rest of Europe.

Puja

[FKAS]

Ah yes, cause what Leinster really desperately needed was yet another world-class talent in their team. That's just cruel to the rest of Europe.

Puja

They didn't dismantle Tigers with the expected ease so it's a knee jerk reaction

Be interesting to see who they drop for him whether it's Henshaw or Ringrose. Maybe they ship him back to 15 and drop Keenan? Embarrassment of riches.

[Margin_Walker]

FWIW RiL saying that Bath have signed Charlie Griffin and Kepu Tuipulotu.

If that's true as well as the rumour about Offiah going there, they are really cleaning up on the best of that LI U17 crop from last year.

[FKAS]

FWIW RiL saying that Bath have signed Charlie Griffin and Kepu Tuipulotu.

If that's true as well as the rumour about Offiah going there, they are really cleaning up on the best of that LI U17 crop from last year.

Bath at least used to wait until their early twenties before raiding LI...