Leicester focuses one of six players allowed to discover
another group after dismissing changed agreement terms from a club gazing into
a £5 million dark gap brought about by the COVID emergency. Rugby fans can
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Manu Tuilagi is expected to still be eligible for British
& Irish Lions selection if he packs his bags and moves overseas. A scenario
considered unthinkable pre-pandemic now appears inevitable after the wrecking
ball center failed to agree amended contract terms with Leicester and was stood
down by the cash-strapped club.
Quitting the Premiership would cost Tuilagi his England place
as the RFU policy is to only select players from within the English game.
But the Lions have no such restriction, as Leigh Halfpenny
found in 2017 when picked for the New Zealand tour despite playing for Toulon.
Before that Toulouse wing, Gareth Thomas not only made the 2005 tour but
captained the Lions in two of the three Tests.
In the first instance Tuilagi, 29, has been stood down for a
week by Tigers, who revealed last night that 31 staff had been made redundant
as a result of a crisis which has already cost the club £5 million and could
rise to £10m if they are not back playing in front of fans before next year.
Chief executive Andrea Pinchen name-checked the pay rebels as
Tuilagi, Greg Bateman, Telusa Veainu, Noel Reid, and Kyle Eastmond. Jordan
Taufua is thought also to be on the list.
“The vast majority of players fully support our recovery
plans," said Pinchen. "But everyone's situation is difficult. Some
extensions were offered and the financials didn't tally. They wanted more money
than we could afford to pay.”
Barring a U-turn, therefore, Tuilagi is set to leave the
club, though finding another could be a problem. Sources in France told Mirror
Sport that the top clubs have already allocated their budgets and some are even
renegotiating salary reductions.
In contrast to the financial turmoil at Welford Road, East
Midland neighbors Northampton announced they had reached an agreement with
their entire playing squad, coaching, and commercial staff to take a 12-month
salary reduction.
Saints chief executive Mark Darbon said: “We are incredibly
grateful to all our employees for recognizing the gravity of our situation and
coming together to support the club.”
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