Fissler Confidential: Ellis Genge to exit English rugby?

England and Lions loosehead Ellis Genge is being lined up for a lucrative move to the Top 14 or Japan Rugby League One following the Rugby World Cup in Australia next year.

It is understood that there is considerable interest from both France and Japan in the Bristol Bears star, who returned to his hometown club from Leicester Tigers after helping them beat Saracens to win their 11th Prem title in 2022.

Genge, who grew up on the Knowle West council estate and has won 80 England caps, signed a long-term contract in September 2024 and will be 32 next February. He was touted for a move to Super League side Warrington Wolves a couple of years ago.

Perpignan have revived their interest in Toulon fly-half Paolo Garbisi after appearing to give up in their pursuit of former Ireland international Ross Byrne, whose career has stalled since moving to Gloucester last summer.

Byrne still has another couple of seasons to run on his Kingsholm contract, but Perpignan were unable to agree a compensation package and are now trying again to land Garbisi, who is surplus to requirements at Toulon.

The Italy international, who has another year left on his contract, has been offered a two-year deal to move to Catalonia, and the Blood and Gold are growing in confidence that a deal can be struck, according to Midi Olympique.

Israel Folau could be looking to revive his club career in the Shute Shield after finding that an attempt to return to the NRL with the Wests Tigers was blocked at the last hurdle.

Folau, who started his career in the NRL with Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos, played Aussie Rules for Greater Western Sydney Giants before switching codes for a third time to join the NSW Waratahs, leading to him winning 73 Wallabies caps.

The star full-back, who is 37, is now a free agent after scoring eight tries in eight appearances for Urayasu D-Rocks in Japan this season, and feelers are understood to have been put out to gauge interest.

Former Wallabies tighthead Jermaine Ainsley, whose transfer from Top 14 outfit Lyon to Saracens this summer was cancelled, has announced that he is returning to the Highlanders next season.

Ainsley, 30, played for the All Blacks XV against Japan two years ago and re-signed for the Highlanders, where he made 38 appearances before moving to France until 2028.

RugbyPass exclusively revealed earlier this year that his move to the Gallagher Prem side was off when he was released from his Lyon contract and returned to New Zealand for personal reasons.

Former Sharks, Ealing Trailfinders and Harlequins loosehead Jordan Els is now fully fit and looking for a new club after becoming one of 13 senior players released by the Gallagher Prem outfit at the end of last season.

Els, 29, who has spent time on a dual registration with London Scottish, made 58 appearances for the club, including four last season, the final one coming in a Prem Rugby Cup defeat to Saracens in November.

He was one of 27 players that Quins had on their injured list in April with an Achilles tendon injury, but he has now recovered and is looking for another club for next season.

Australia under-20 international Leo Jaques is having talks with the Cronulla Sharks about switching codes to the NRL when his contract runs out later this year.

Outside centre Jaques, 20, who stands at 6 ft 4 in and weighs 15 st 3.85 lb, would become one of the tallest outside backs in the NRL and is close to joining the Sharks, who are keen to add more firepower to their backline.

Jaques is seen as one of Australia’s brightest stars and is a product of the prestigious Scots College. He is in Georgia for the Under-20 World Cup and has scored two tries in three games in this season’s Under-20 Rugby Championship.

Veteran former All Black centre Francis Saili is set to reunite with his former Biarritz president Jean-Baptiste Aldigé and play next season for Nissa Rugby, who have just won promotion back to the Pro D2.

Saili, 35, who started his career with the Blues, won two All Blacks caps 13 years ago, then joined Munster and Harlequins before moving to France with Biarritz six years ago and has since played for Racing 92 and Vannes.

He made 11 appearances for Vannes this season, the last coming in the Pro D2 semi-final win over Oyonnax, and has agreed a one-year deal to play in Nice next season.

Former Scotland scrum-half Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, who was a member of Exeter Chiefs’ 2020 Champions Cup and Prem-winning side, is the new coach of Italian Top 10 outfit Mogliano Veneto Rugby.

Mogliano Veneto is a town in the province of Treviso, where Hidalgo-Clyne, 32, finished his playing career with Benetton two years ago after struggling to get a game under Marco Bortolami, despite offers to move to France following a falling out of love with the game.

He is now taking his first steps in coaching at the Stadio Maurizio Quaggia, which has a capacity of fewer than 800, with the club that won the Serie A Elite Cup two years ago.