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It's off - Sale Sharks issue statement over Jackson/Olding rumours

By Online Editors
Paddy Jackson prepares a kick for Ulster

Sale Sharks have distanced themselves from speculation that they are to sign former Ulster Rugby players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding.

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Yesterday the Telegraph reported that cut-price deals for the duo had been agreed, with their signings to be announced once the Premiership season finishes.

A statement issued this evening by the club reads:

“Sale Sharks can confirm there is no substance to the rumours currently circulating in relation to the signing of the two international rugby players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding. Our search continues for top class players to bolster the squad for next season.”

Meanwhile RFU CEO Steve Brown has given England Rugby’s position on any potential signing of the pair by a Premiership club.

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Speaking to RugbyPass on the matter, the RFU CEO said the matter was ‘down to individual’ clubs.

“I think it’s down to individual clubs,” Brown told RugbyPass’s Nick Heath. “I don’t know the specifics of any kind of deals that are there or any negotiations but I think it is down to clubs themselves to make that call.

“I think it is a moral position that they need to take and it’s a difficult call when someone is found not guilty of something but there are other reasons why a union has taken a position on something. As I’ve said before we take a very strong view to any kind of behaviour that would not be considered appropriate.”

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“It’s a case by case thing,” said Brown. “I think the club has to make their own call. My view is that you’ve got to take it as it is and I think the Irish union did what they did and I respect that decision.”

Both players had their contracts terminated after the IRFU and Ulster Rugby conducted an internal review following Jackson and Olding’s acquittal over rape charges.

The review focused on a series of explicit group text conversations involving the players and their friends, which was revealed during the trial.

Protests took place outside Ulster’s Kingspan Stadium following the trial and a number of the club’s sponsors expressed their concerns over the players conduct prior to their sacking.

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The CEO said that he was wary of the RFU having a position on the matter as it could be seen to be dictatorial to clubs.

“That could be quite dictatorial and prescriptive of us. I’d rather it was more natural… a natural view – that the club took – in considering whether or not a player is appropriately qualified to play for them and the right representation. I think we have to leave it that way. I think we have to be careful that we don’t dictate that.”

“We do set the tone by the way we respond to people’s behaviour or if they do say the wrong thing and you’ve seen that play out in the public domain,” concluded Brown.

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Nickers 5 hours ago
All Blacks sabbaticals ‘damage Super Rugby Pacific when it is fighting for survival’

Sabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.

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