New Leicester Tigers signing Darryl Marfo. (Getty)
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It’s been a busy morning for Leicester Tigers with the club announcing a handful of contract renewals, as well as some new signings to boost the front-row stocks. Tigers have have announced that Scotland international Darryl Marfo will join the club on a short-term contract. The loosehead prop, who was most recently with Edinburgh, previously played for Premiership clubs Harlequins and Bath.
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The 30-year-old has three Test caps to his name, starting against Samoa, New Zealand and Australia during Scotland’s 2017 autumn internationals.
Marfo joins the Tigers with immediate effect and has already linked up with the squad this week at the club’s Oval Park training ground.
Offload Episode 19 | Dan Lydiate
Offload Episode 19 | Dan Lydiate
Speaking about the addition of Marfo, Leicester Tigers Head Coach Steve Borthwick said: “We are pleased to welcome Darryl to the club and looking forward to seeing what he can contribute in the Leicester front row.
“He is an international player who has experience in the Premiership and adds depth to our squad in the loosehead position.
“It’s important we continue to promote competitiveness within our ranks for places in the team.”
Marfo added: “I am extremely grateful for this special opportunity for me to be a part of Leicester Tigers.
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“Whilst I am here I am committed to doing everything I can, to contribute to the club being successful, in Steve’s mould.
“To do that I know I have to put the team first always and work as hard as I can every day that I am here.”
Marfo will be joined at Tigers by South African front-rower Francois Van Wyk, who will make the move from Northampton Saints ahead of the 2021/22 season.
The 29-year-old has spent the last four seasons with the Saints, and previously lined out for Super Rugby side Western Force.
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South African prop Francois Van Wyk has signed with the club from next season.
Bothwick said: “We are excited to have someone of his experience, ability and character join us in Leicester.
“Francois has played top-flight rugby in both hemispheres and will add vital depth to our front row ranks at Tigers from next season.
“Our conversations ahead of his signing have been very impressive and what has shone through has been his willingness to contribute to what we are building at Leicester Tigers and his passion to be a member of our club.
“As we continue to re-shape this squad, people of his character are as important as what they contribute on the pitch.”
“When Steve told me the Tigers were interested in me, I thought it would be a great opportunity,” Van Wyk said.
“His ambition for the club was very impressive and it played a big part in my decision. The way he spoke about the players and people at the club was inspiring, it was a done deal for me after speaking to him.”
Fellow South African Marco Van Staden will also join ahead of the 2021/22 season.
The Springboks flanker will join Tigers from Super Rugby side The Bulls, with who Van Staden starred for in their recent Super Rugby Unlocked and Currie Cup competition-winning campaigns.
Capable of playing across the back-row, the 25-year-old was selected to make his Test debut for the Springboks against Argentina in 2019, before narrowly missing out on selection in South Africa’s Rugby World Cup squad.
“He is a tough, hard-working, competitive player who we are confident will add to what we are building here at Leicester Tigers,” Borthwick said.
“What stood out for me when talking to Steve is that the club is working together towards one goal of getting the club back to the top,” said Van Staden.
“I like the physical parts of the game and will do my best to add to the team in those areas. I believe the style of the game in the Premiership suits me, in the physical battles, and am really looking forward to playing that style of rugby at Leicester Tigers.”
Nadolo is just one of a number of players to agree new deals with the Tigers.
South African back rower Jasper Wiese has put pen-to-paper on a new deal. The 25-year-old joined Tigers ahead of the 2020/21 season and has made eight appearances, scoring three tries.
Club legend Dan Cole is also staying put. Cole, 33, has made 253 senior appearances for the club since debuting in 2007 after graduating from the Tigers Academy.
Cole has made 98 Test appearances, including 95 for England, and averaged more than 20 games per season for Leicester since his first full season in the senior team.
Academy graduate front-rower Whitcombe, 20, made his senior debuts in both Premiership and European rugby this season.
Kelly, 19, has made eight senior appearances for the Tigers since joining the club last summer.
Leicester local Chessum, 20, joined from Championship club Nottingham Rugby and has made five senior appearances since debuting in the recommenced 2019/20 campaign, scoring his debut try in the club’s Premiership win over London Irish in Round 12 of the 2020/21 season.
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments