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Paolo Odogwu jokes at his own expense, admitting he signed new club contract 15 days before England call-up

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Paolo Odogwu has had a laugh at his own expense, revealing that he signed his Wasps contract extension the day before his two-try man of the match display earlier this month at Bath which was followed by his call-up to Eddie Jones’s England squad for the Six Nations.     

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It was announced on Monday that the 23-year-old had signed an unspecified length contract extension at his Gallagher Premiership club. 

The perception was that Wasps had moved fast to pin down their man now that Odogwu had just been included by England and was suddenly a more coveted player in greater demand. 

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However, Odogwu has admitted that he put pen to paper on his new deal on January 7, 15 days before his value increased with his Test level call-up by Jones.     

Appearing on the latest episode of The Rugby Pod ahead of his first day in camp with England on Wednesday prior to the February 6 home game versus Scotland, Odogwu revealed with a smile that he had got the timing of his new deal all wrong given what had since happened to him in recent weeks.

“I actually re-signed the day before the Bath game,” he said, laughing how that probably left him out of pocket now that he has been elevated to the international ranks. “That was in the pipeline from the start of the season so once I started playing and showing my worth, we were having conversations trying to sort it out and then we got the deal done. Then I had that Bath game and all this international stuff, so it’s the opposite of how everyone thinks it has gone. 

“But it was good. I wanted to stay at the club. It’s a good place and there is such a good vibe at the moment that I want to keep going… coming into the end of last season we were doing so well and I wasn’t involved as much as I wanted to be. 

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“But still being part of that winning mentality and great culture coming into this year just drove me. I needed to be in this team, I needed to play and Malakai (Fekitoa) getting injured gave me the opportunity to get involved. I haven’t looked back since.”

He never imagined, though, England selection would follow so quickly. “I literally didn’t think I’d be on England’s radar at all to be honest because they had been doing so well recently and keeping the same sort of squad together and it has been working. 

“I was surprised to get any sort of international call. The Italy conversations happened and that blew up in the media and then it was after that I got the call from Eddie telling me I was on the radar. 

“That little carrot from England that I might actually get in the squad meant I held off on the Italy thing and said I’d wait to see what happened but I didn’t expect it to be this Six Nations. That was a pleasant surprise,” he said, adding that he now hopes to be considered as both a winger and an outside centre having thrived recently in both positions at Wasps.

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“With the smaller squad they are taking (just 28), I will be covering both. It gets me in the mix and gives me more of a chance of being involved. I definitely want to be an option at both. I’ve loved playing 13 this season. I’m a bit more involved and get on the ball more, get in the thick of it. Yeah, definitely covering both but I’m enjoying 13.”

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Hellhound 43 minutes ago
Springboks' dominance of the world rankings comes under increased threat

There is that yes, but to grow the game, you can't leave those teams down and out. In any sport, if a team loses, no one will be interested and no new talent will join the game. What is the aim? To grow the sport. Will any sport grow if you leave it unattended? What incentive is there for players and countries to play rugby? To spend money on rugby to grow the sport in your country? Especially if you never can compete against the top teams, not even the top 50 teams? There is no money for the players to play the sport as any other job will provide food, but rugby won't. Those players will stay amateur because they have to work a day job, play for their club and then their countries too, which don't pay much as the sport is not big enough. Those athletes leave sport or go to another sport. Chuck them out, dismiss them, give them no crumbs. Yeah, that's a way to grow any sport isn't it? By ignoring them, you think rugby will grow in those countries? They can't afford proper rugby fields, never mind to pay players to be professional athletes. Why would they encourage a sport that is costly to maintain with no incentive? Who runs a business at a loss? Why even bother to try and grow the game is smaller countries? Especially with that attitude of amateur players? Ever stop to think why they are so average? Why they are still amateur? Unlike the bigger nations, they can't afford to pay professional salaries. Those athletes will always stay amateur because they can't afford to make rugby their daily lives. They have to work to survive. They can't improve themselves on a rigorous training schedule like the top stars. The stars have one job. Rugby. They have 2 to 3 jobs, club rugby, national rugby and then their daily grind jobs, all to survive. Your thinking is wrong about this. It isn't enough to just show someone the sport. That isn't growth. It's lazy thinking.

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