Tuilagi seals his switch to Sale after Tigers exit
SAMOAN-BORN CENTRE KEEPS ENGLAND CAREER ALIVE BY STAYING IN THE PREMIERSHIP
MANU Tuilagi has completed his switch from Leicester Tigers to Gallagher Premiership rivals Sale Sharks, writes Nick Purewal of PA Sport.
The 29-year-old will keep his England career alive by staying on home soil, after agreeing a deal with Sale that runs until the end of the 2020/2021 campaign.
The 43-cap England centre was a free agent after rejecting a 25 per cent pay cut and leaving Leicester Tigers, the club he joined as a teenager.
Four other players also left Welford Road after refusing to sign new contracts – Kyle Eastmond, Telusa Veainu, who has joined French side Stade Francais, Greg Bateman and Noel Reid.
Tuilagi will now be available for Sale’s push towards the playoffs when the current Premiership season resumes next month after the coronavirus shutdown.
The Sharks sit second place in the league standings, and British and Irish Lions powerhouse Tuilagi’s addition will prove a real coup for boss Steve Diamond’s side.
“We contacted Manu’s agent and Leicester Tigers last week to discuss the player’s current position,” said Sale rugby director Diamond.
“After discussions on Friday, all parties – Leicester Tigers,
Manu Tuilagi and Sale Sharks – agreed that the player was a free agent and was able to enter into negotiations with another club.
“Manu will be a fantastic commercial and playing addition to our squad and I am looking forward to seeing him join up with the lads at Carrington this week.”
Tuilagi’s England career would have stalled had he moved abroad, with lucrative offers available to the Samoaborn star in both France and Japan.
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) continues to stand by its position of not selecting overseas-based players.
Tuilagi headed a group of players able to leave Leicester as free agents effectively due to breach of contract.
PA news agency understands the highly-regarded England star has the ability to sue the Tigers for constructive dismissal.
Leicester insisted they had been forced into drastic costcutting measures to offset the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, making 31 redundancies across club staff.
Players were asked to take salary cuts, and those that refused opted to leave.
In confirming departures including that of Tuilagi, Leicester chief executive Andrea Pinchen said: “The majority of people are going down that path with us, and a handful couldn’t.”