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Wigglesworth commits short-term future to Saracens but accepts new club on horizon
Saracens scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth, who is on course to become the first Premiership player to appear in 300 games, has signed a short term contract that will keep him at the club until this season is completed.
Wigglesworth is 37-year-old but believes his fitness and desire to play at the highest level will give him the chance to get to 300 games although he accepts it may be achieved in another club’s colours. For now, he remains a key figure at Saracens, who have been relegated after breaching the league’s salary cap rules, with the Heineken Champions Cup defending champions facing Leinster in Dublin in a titanic quarter-final on the weekend of 18-20 September.
There are also nine regular season rounds of the Gallagher Premiership to complete and with fellow England scrum-half Ben Spencer heading to his new club Bath on Friday, Saracens, who are the defending champions, will be relying heavily on the experience and tactical brilliance of Wigglesworth.
To date, Wigglesworth has played a record 286 Premiership games for Sale and Saracens, winning six league titles and three Heineken Cups, and while he will not be at the club next season, he acknowledges that at least he gets to finish the season rather than departing before the COVID-19 lockdown ends and matches can resume. Players such as Spencer, Alex Lozowski, Will Skelton and those who have opted for loan deals while Saracens are in the Championship, must now start bedding in with their new clubs.
For a club that prides itself on creating a special family atmosphere, the current upheavals and limited inter-action with the players operating in small groups as part of the return to play protocols makes this a strange and unsettling time for everyone.
Wigglesworth told RugbyPass: “I will see out the season with Saracens and have signed a deal to do that and I don’t know about next season. I have only been bothered about making sure I see out this season because if you have been somewhere for 10 years you don’t want to be sudden and I feel for the lads who have had to leave. To move without any closure isn’t good. In terms of the future, it is a case of picking what is best for me next and that will be to play on because I have come back in good shape like the rest of the lads.
“This current situation has taught us to be adaptable and make good decisions and having got finishing the season with Saracens sorted, I can now make sure I make the right decision next for me and the family. Saracens is all about the people and for some players not to be there will be strange and its tough they don’t get the send-off they deserve.
“The quarter-final with Leinster is a long way off but we know we are playing the best team of the season and it will get us all excited.”
Wigglesworth admits reaching 300 Premiership games is in his thoughts and it would be a remarkable achievement given the demands of the professional sport. “ I would be lying if I didn’t admit I know that figure is there: “he added. “ It would be nice to be close to it and nip over the top in the next couple of years. Currently, we are training in small groups and we getting to see some of the lads and I have been training with Brad Barritt, Richard Barrington and Will Hooley who has joined the club.
“We are saying goodbye to Ben Spencer on Friday and it will be nice to watch him at Bath as the main cog in their wheel and he will bring a lot to the club. I have been really well looked after by the club and have the desire to continue and I am still obsessed with the game and want to get better. That is why I feel I still have time left in the game.”
Wigglesworth has been coaching the Ealing Trailfinders backs in recent seasons and could find himself helping the club prepare to take on Saracens in the Championship next season although this has yet to be confirmed as he sorts out his next contract.
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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