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Leicester farewell Veainu, agree contract extensions with 4 other players

(Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)

Leicester Tigers have offset their official farewell to Telusa Veainu by confirming that four other players – Hanro Liebenberg, Nephi Leatigaga, Facundo Gigena and Harry Wells – have all agreed extended contracts with the English Premiership club.  

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Veainu was one of five players who opted not to agree to reduced salary terms last week, joining Manu Tuilagi, Greg Bateman, Noel Reid and Kyle Eastmond in leaving the club. 

The Tongan became the first of that quintet to sort out his future, Stade Francais announcing on Tuesday that they have agreed to a three-year deal for the back who joined Leicester after appearing for his country at the 2015 World Cup. 

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Wasps and New Zealand’s Lima Sopoaga guests on The Lockdown, the RugbyPass pandemic interview series

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Wasps and New Zealand’s Lima Sopoaga guests on The Lockdown, the RugbyPass pandemic interview series

He went on make just shy of 90 appearances for the club, scoring 32 tries and being voted RPA player of the year for one of his campaigns. 

Speaking to the Tigers website, director of rugby Geordan Murphy said: “We thank Telusa for all that he has given to Leicester Tigers during his time with us.

“The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has not been lost on anyone and while we hoped to see Telusa play out the remaining one-and-a-half seasons of his contract with us at Tigers, we appreciate the varying individual circumstances of all our players and wish him, his partner and child well in their next chapter in Paris.”

To make up for the less lucrative salary terms on offer at Welford Road, Leicester have been offering extended contracts to players. 

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George Worth, Sam Aspland-Robinson, Tommy Reffell, Jordan Olowofela and Ben White all put pen to paper on Monday with South African back row Liebenberg, Samoan prop Leatigaga, Argentine prop Gigena and English second row Wells following suit on Tuesday. The length of their extensions was unspecified by the club, though. 

Murphy said: “Hanro hit the ground running this season and quickly established himself as an important part of our club, moving forward. He wants to be a Tigers player and believes in what we are building here at the club, which he has bought into after less than a season.

“Nephi has had an impressive start to his Tigers career and improved with each performance during the current campaign. He has an opportunity now to go on with it and continue to progress here in a Tigers shirt, under the guidance of Boris Stankovich and alongside some experienced, international front rowers.

“Facundo has grown as a player with every opportunity he has got since joining us two years ago. He arrived here as an unknown and, through his hard work and no-nonsense style, has become a favourite among supporters in the stands at Welford Road and his teammates.

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“Every time Harry pulls on a Tigers shirt, he leaves nothing on the pitch and he is committed to seeing the club get back to where it belongs. He has played more than 70 games in the past three seasons… we want players at Tigers who are committed to the journey and the tough work we know is required.”

 

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J
JW 25 minutes ago
Can Les Bleus avoid a Black-wash in New Zealand?

Common now, I checked, and I have also seen your replies to Graham just now. You know the AB tests rated higher. A ‘Friendly’! You know they go back in history even further, right?


So I can’t believe you are correct when you say it brings in the money. I can understand though playing better nations than those in the 6N but which don’t have a profile (like how Argentina is still a hard rate in NZ even after years of high performance), don’t generate the same interest as Wales etc. You’re also not going to have a SA or a NZ touring every November, and Wallabies are no longer the benchmark.


I mean I wouldn’t doubt that the most obvious revenue factor is a 6N component, not trying to say that it isn’t, just that fans show that it needn’t be. November test should still generate a high amount of revenue. As a topic it is all redundant now as the November tests (and July) are going to have a competitive factor.


Hopefully the quality of nations continue to rise and you can have three blockbuster teams touring every year in the not too distant future. 10 or 11 games might be right around the perfect number for a minimum tier 1 test nation too. I’m sure you’re going to make the rest of your season fit around that (those aren’t 100% things at all).


So although WR have already implemented change, I do still agree with your opinion that things are pretty good as they are. I only see a little improvement needed before France can really step up to All Blacks or Springbok level. You might think that a joke and that you will always look up to these teams but as a nation you really can do/go one better.

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J
JW 42 minutes ago
Can Les Bleus avoid a Black-wash in New Zealand?

It was a reply to both your posts sorry, I mean stuff you replied to NB about only focusing on 6N and hoping that.. narrowness will benefit a WC campaign.


I think WCs are harder to win than that (requires many factors other than being able to play the best winning rugby), and 5 matches that aren’t must win and are broken up is not a good test (especially compared what the All Blacks offered).

I’m fully aware that French International players participation into Top 14, European Cups & 6 Nations will hinder their preparation for a WC.

So I wasn’t saying suggesting that. Your competitions are fine, they just aren’t going to provide everything.


Interesting insight on the last campaign, and again, those components they’re adding are also practical and sensible attempts to improve their chances at a WC. So they question remains, why go to those lengths and throw it all away by not picking a better team to travel to New Zealand?


I’ve suggested in other topics they are really close to making it work, but also the data that’s been presented in this articles shows that even now they could have also made the tour to NZ work.


That is both in the view as presented here by NB and what other players were available, and in the long term planning that you say Galthie has undertaken, in not taking the opportunity to make it work even better (factors like the dates of these tests could have seen finalists available from test 1) for a tour like this.


TBH, I can understand if Galthie made a calculated decision to undervalue the tour. Many have had a bad opinion about the All Blacks ability/level under Foster, and even in test 1 he might have shown such an attitude to be correct still under Razor.

343 Go to comments
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