1
'Bollocks': What Ellis Genge said in 2020 about loyalty in rugby
Wednesday’s shock announcement that England loosehead Ellis Genge will quit Leicester at the end of the 2021/22 season for a now confirmed return to his hometown Bristol has lit up social media where there have been plenty of opinions from the opposite ends of the spectrum.
ADVERTISEMENT
Leicester boss Steve Borthwick explained in the club’s statement revealing Genge’s plan to leave that it “is a personal decision for Ellis“. Some fans have fully embraced this rationale. “That’s professional sport, good luck to him. He’s been an outstanding servant for Leicester,” read one tweet after the Genge exit revelation broke.
However, there were other posts critical of the departure. “Struggling to understand why he would want to leave such a great club and let’s face it this club has put him on the straight and narrow.”
Aside from a 59-word paragraph included at the end of the Leicester statement, Genge had been silent about his reasons to exit the Tigers, his club since his arrival there from Bristol in 2016.
The views of the Leicester prop regarding loyalty in rugby were perhaps best summed up, though, in a January 2020 interview Genge gave to House of Rugby, the show that features James Haskell and has since become The Good, The Bad and The Rugby. The 26-year-old spoke at length about how rugby is a business and that players have to look after themselves as best they can.
I Don’t understand why he was given the captaincy role if he had intentions of leaving .
— Adam Warwick (@AdamWarwick86) December 15, 2021
“It pains to see articles by I don’t know who,” he began when broaching the emotive theme of loyalty in rugby. “A good example would be when Jonny (May) left Gloucester, he found a clause in his contract that he manipulated to leave Gloucester and everyone was, ‘We looked after him in his academy years here’. F*** off. It’s a work environment. If you want to leave Tesco and go to Asda, I’m sure your manager ain’t screaming at you, ‘You can’t f***in do that? That is our direct competitor, they’re two roads up’.
“They ain’t going to say that. No one has got a problem with that and you sort of forget that sport now, especially rugby even more so because the money has gone up, it’s a business. You see about all the salary cap stuff, it’s a business. If people ain’t got room for you in their cap… if they ain’t got money for someone they are going to get rid of them no matter if they have been there eight years or nine.”
ADVERTISEMENT
At that time nearly two years ago, the big news in the game in England was the Saracens salary cap controversy which ultimately resulted in their automatic relegation from the Premiership. Before that automatic drop had been confirmed, it had emerged that Liam Williams would be leaving for the Scarlets as the London club strove to try and get its cap in order.
“That is what I am saying (about no loyalty) and he was their best thing since sliced bread,” continued Genge. “He was unreal, don’t get me wrong, but he was their [Saracens’] answer and now you have to find a different answer and that is fine for clubs to do that but when a player does that there is uproar. And that is why I am saying it is bollocks.
“I am not saying there is no loyalty left in rugby. Maybe I said it but that is not what I mean, what I am saying is it is bollocks to think that just because you have been somewhere for ten years that you are going to get very well looked after. To be fair to Leicester I do think they do look after players very well post finishing if you have been there a long time.
“At the same time there are people in the game who absolutely milk it and don’t give anything to a club and I do think that should be pushed out as well, but you have got to have a balance. You can’t expect an arm and a leg from a player and then give them f*** all when they retire.
ADVERTISEMENT
“That is what I say to people when I have got fans peppering me when we were losing at Leicester… I have literally got fans saying that we don’t care. What the f*** are you on about? I got up here at seven o’clock for seven months, whatever it was, to go in and do rehab and wait three hours to do weights so all the boys who were playing could come and do weights.
“You’re sat there, you are twiddling your thumbs, you are losing your mind. Everything that you give psychologically and all the body parts that go missing, do you know what I mean? Everyone seems to forget that as soon you finish playing. It’s ‘he jumped ship’. You have got to look after yourself and that is instinct… you’ve got to look after yourself.”
Already seeing people saying loyalty in rugby is "dead" because Ellis Genge is leaving Leicester, if only there's a video where Genge himself talks about loyalty in rugby…
Credit: @GoodBadRugby pic.twitter.com/3F1AgyOwYD
— Andrew Forde (@andrewfrugby) December 15, 2021
Wow!
Genge set to leave Leicester the end of the season. After being named club captain this season I would’ve put good money on him staying.
Going to be a lot of clubs after his signature… #GallagherPrem #LeicesterTigers https://t.co/N3ESudeBaV
— Tight Five Rugby (@TightFive_Rugby) December 15, 2021
Looks like Ellis Genge is off to Bristol for family reasons and Ford off to Sale for family reasons. Fully respect those decisions.
Two incredible players who will leave a big hole, gutted
— Tigers Fans (@TigersLeicester) December 15, 2021
Loads of knuckles losing their shit over Genge changing jobs. Calm down, you planks.
— Ben Wightman (@BTWightman) December 15, 2021
Ellis Genge is hugely underrated I feel, he is the real deal, that’s big praise because he deserves it. Tigers going to miss him but that’s professional sport, good luck to him-he’s been an outstanding servant for Leicester #EllisGenge
— Graeme Peacock (@graemepeacock05) December 15, 2021
'Struggling to understand why he would want to leave such a great club and let’s face it this club has put him on the straight and narrow'https://t.co/2v7mWC4Uu9
— Mercury Tigers (@tigerslive) December 15, 2021
…and I get that because not so long ago Tigers treated players as commodities. It is however easy to forget the Youngs, Cole, Wells of the squad. Smith behind the scenes. These guys have remained local because they are (relatively) local…as Ford and Genge return local…
— Oxford Cleaver ???? (@oxfordcleaver) December 15, 2021
If the rumours on Genge to bears are true. As much as I love the bloke and think he's a top quality player, that's a terrible bit of business.. starting 1 and 3 away for a large chunk of the season, both of whom will be eating into the salary cap. Weirdly hope it's not true.
— Joe (@Joe67667987) December 16, 2021
All for opinions but, cheese and ham crackers. There isn't a club in the land that wouldn't miss Genge.
When Sarries went down you lot were rooted to the bottom of the league. He put the club on his back. Kept things respectable.— Tony Campbell (@CampbellATony) December 15, 2021
2 players who were linked away from the club months ago leaving. Borthwick almost certainly had Pollard’s contract signed before club announced Ford gone. I’m sad Genge is off, but I’m not worried, and wouldn’t be surprised if his replacement is already sorted.
— J (@James_Hoggarth) December 15, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
What was the excuse for the other knockout blowouts then? Does the result not prove the Saints were just so much better? Wise call to put your eggs in one basket when you’ve got 2 comps simultaneously finishing.
27 Go to commentsReally hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
83 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
83 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
4 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
27 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
4 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
4 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
27 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to comments