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Exclusive - Wasps address explosive claims that 3 of their biggest names on verge of walking
Wasps have dismissed claims England stars Joe Launchbury, Elliot Daly and Christian Wade are threatening to quit the Aviva Premiership outfit over a lack of financial investment.
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A report in the Daily Mail claims players and coaching staff are frustrated over inadequate training facilities and the backlog in image-rights payments, which are thought to account for about 15 percent of overall salaries. Wasps chiefs dispute claims about image rights and insist they are unaware of any outstanding payment issues.
RugbyPass understands Launchbury, Daly and Wade still have two years left on their Wasps contracts and sources close to the players have refuted suggestions they are set to quit or lead a rebellion. Launchbury, the club captain, turned down bigger contract offers from rival clubs to stay with Wasps who head into Sunday’s home game with Northampton in third place and chasing a home play-off semi-final.
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Wasps have yet to deliver a promised state-of-the-art training complex which was part of the package that convinced the players that a move in 2014 from their London base in Acton to Coventry and the Ricoh Arena stadium would transform the facilities they could work with.
The club is currently sharing training facilities at Broadstreet RFC having previously been given planning permission for a £7million base at the Alan Higgs Centre in Coventry before opting to shelve that plan. It is understood that Wasps have identified a site for a new training complex based at a junior rugby club in South Warwickshire, around 15 minutes outside Coventry but even if planning permission is granted shortly it will not be ready for over a year.
Director of rugby Dai Young said: “I have been made aware of an article published today which makes a number of assertions regarding our current situation. The construction of new training facilities is taking longer than originally hoped. We had a couple of projects which reached a pretty advanced stage but unfortunately did come not to fruition along the way, but no-one doubts this is the number one priority project for our development team.
“I know a further location is now under serious consideration and that this project could take a big step forward in the very near future. Since September ten of our senior squad have signed new contracts. This includes Joe Launchbury, Elliot Daly and only this week Dan Robson. A number of other players have also signed new deals since we moved from Acton to Coventry at the start of last season.
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“Clearly we are all looking forward to being in a permanent home, and in the meantime, we are all fully focused on the remainder of the season and are pushing hard to reach the play-offs for a third consecutive year.”
Wasps are to announce their latest financial results shortly and there will be keen interest to see how they are going to service the payments due on the £35m bond issue launched in 2015 and which requires around £2m to be paid in interest every year.
The Ricoh Arena complex gives Wasps revenue from the on-site hotel, casino and exhibition facilities as well as sporting fixtures and concerts.
Comments on RugbyPass
A distinct discomfort with the officiating they were probably selected from the local IRA narcos branch along with the commentators bloody fly tippers.
1 Go to commentsWow, never thought I would read that
1 Go to commentsExcellent match. Great to see Keenan and Ryan back for Leinster. Super result for Ulster. Season is turning around.
1 Go to comments“We need eight or nine new players, who are hard-wearing and durable and experienced Premiership performers”. So why are they scouting a retired fullback who himself admits that his “body is broken”?
1 Go to commentsBrumbies hand, knocked a Crusaders hand. Therefore, knock on in goal. Crusaders, goal line drop out should’ve been awarded. most likely after that 24 each at full time, so extra time would’ve been the right an entertaining outcome. Act Jim
1 Go to commentsSpeell cehck
1 Go to commentsColeman is gaawwwwnnn.
1 Go to commentsnext SA head coach?
3 Go to commentsGreat try by van Poortvliet.
1 Go to commentsThey have been cruelled by injuries but almost nobody (Sevu Reece and Fletcher Newell big exceptions) has played above himself which regularly happened before. Surely Scott Robertson had maintained the recruitment programme and it looks like a reasonable squad. Last in this competition will stall a lot of careers. Penny seems likeable. But it’s not enough even though this was better. We haven’t been good enough and it’s not helped by the “it’s been 15 years since… “etc “after nearly every match. Seems somehow a soft gifting of something once valuable. Kieran Read giving comments last week almost choked describing the easy surrender of possession by the forwards. I’d love to think that the senior players some of whom are back can show enough pride in the jersey to test the Blues next week.
3 Go to commentsWho will Joe select for the back three with so many in form candidates? Just hope he doesn’t get shafted like Dave Rennie and to a lesser extent Deans.
6 Go to commentsAlways reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
3 Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
6 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
5 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
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