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London Irish confirm names of the 12 players who are leaving
London Irish have confirmed that a dozen players will be departing the Gallagher Premiership club now that their 2022/23 season has drawn to a close. The Exiles rounded off their campaign with a 17-14 home win over Exeter to seal a fifth-place league finish and the final whistle coincided with the club naming its 12 leavers – 10 full-timers and two injury dispensation signings.
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A statement read: “Departing players – Isaac Curtis-Harris, Facundo Gigena, Ollie Hassell-Collins, Isaac Miller, Hugh O’Sullivan, Tom Parton, Rob Simmons, James Stokes, Mike Willemse, Giosue Zilocchi. Injury dispensation cover – Kyle Cooper, Logan Trotter.
“London Irish can today confirm the club’s departing players upon the conclusion of the 2022/23 season. Back row forward and senior academy graduate Isaac Curtis-Harris will depart after amassing 27 appearances to take up a new opportunity elsewhere.
“After three seasons in west London, Argentina international Facundo Gigena will call time on his stay in the capital and move onto pastures new after earning 48 appearances for Irish. England international Ollie Hassell-Collins will make a switch to Leicester ahead of the 2023/24 season after five years of involvement as a senior Exile. Ollie accrued 102 caps and 43 tries scored for the team he joined as part of the ACE programme as a schoolboy.
“The 28-year-old hooker Isaac Miller signed in the 2022 off-season from Worcester Warriors and scored twice in the six occasions representing the club. Playing a vital part in consecutive runs to the Premiership Rugby Cup finals, Hugh O’Sullivan will leave London Irish this summer having adorned the green jersey 24 times.
“Tom Parton will make the move north of the capital to Saracens for next season, the academy graduate scoring 105 points for Irish in 72 games. The ex-England U20 international progressed through the academy at Hazelwood and was called into an England training squad last summer.
“Current member of the leadership group, Rob Simmons, will move across the English Channel to link up with Top 14 side Clermont after three campaigns and 64 appearances as an Exile. After 57 appearances and 12 tries, versatile back James Stokes will seek a new adventure after joining midway through the 2019/20 campaign from Coventry.
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“Mike Willemse made 18 appearances in his final term for London Irish after signing ahead of the 2021/22 season, adding to a respectable haul of 33 across two campaigns. Giosue Zilocchi will head back to his home country of Italy to continue his rugby journey with Benetton after an injury-hampered spell with Irish that meant the 26-year-old was restricted from playing for the club.
“Logan Trotter and Kyle Cooper, both signed as injury dispensation cover, will also leave with the club’s thanks and well wishes. First-year Academy players Louie Kirkham, Oran Murphy and Oliver Stirling conclude their time in west London at the end of the current season.”
London Irish director of rugby Declan Kidney said: “On behalf of the club, I would like to thank all of our departing players for their collective commitment to the jersey throughout their respective spells. Departures are an unfortunate part of the game, but all of these players have been a huge credit to themselves, their families and the club in the way they have conducted themselves as Exiles.
“We say goodbye to both youthful and experienced players, with our sincere thanks to not only the players, but also to their families and friends for their commitment and dedication to London Irish over the tenure of their time at Hazelwood, Brentford and Reading.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
Absolutely..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.
9 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.
5 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.
22 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.
9 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…??? 🤑🤑🤑
14 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
14 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 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 commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
5 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to comments