Sharks sinner off for new start at Rouen
OUTCAST Tom Arscott is ready to banish the nightmare of his controversial sacking by Sale by making a fresh start with ambitious French outfit Rouen.
Arscott, 29, was fired by Sale in January after being accused of leaking lineout information to his brother, Luke, a Bristol player at the time, ahead of the relegation battle.
Arscott was later handed a written warning by the RFU for providing “insider information” – a charge he still feels bitter about and one that made it harder to find a new club before Rouen supremo Richard Hill offered him an unlikely cross-Channel lifeline.
A short deal with Yorkshire Carnegie expired in May and Arscott told The
Rugby Paper: “I was quite worried about finding a new club. My deal with Yorkshire was always going to be a short one and I believed there would be something else because I’m not too old, but there were times when I thought what went on at Sale had tarnished my reputation.
“Bad Press obviously makes people nervous but what’s portrayed is not always as things really are and things go on behind closed doors that people don’t get to see.
“The whole thing was massively blown out of proportion and there are so many things I’d like to say but can’t. I’m just looking to the future now and a great opportunity in France.”
Third tier French outfit Rouen became Federale Rugby’s national champions last weekend, beating Macon 29-15 to lift the coveted Jean Prat trophy.
They now enter the ‘Poule Elite’, with Arscott joining Yann Thomas (ex-Gloucester) and Rob O’Donnell (Carnegie) among a raft of new signings as former England No.9 Hill targets promotion to Pro D2.
Arscott said: “I’d like to have stayed in the Premiership and had been expecting a new contract at Sale before my world was turned upside down. But I’ve always wanted to go to France, it’s just the opportunity never arose before.
“I played under Richard at Bristol and Worcester and it’s really helped that he’s known me for a number of years. Once he’d heard I didn’t have a club he was dead keen to get me over and a few lads I already know at Rouen are loving it there.
“They’ve gone really well by winning the Federale title and if they can replicate that next season we can hopefully get promoted and then do well in Pro D2. Richard’s very excited and they’ve got huge ambition, so I can’t wait to get stuck in there.”