Reffell stays a Tiger after rejecting interest from Welsh regions
anthony.woolford@walesonline.co.uk
YOUNG Welsh flanker Tommy Reffell has rejected reported advances from his homeland to sign a new contract with Gallagher Premiership giants Leicester Tigers.
The Wales Under-20s skipper rose through the academy and development ranks at Welford Road to earn promotion to the senior squad in the summer of 2019.
He’s made 17 appearances to date for the Tigers this season, and 24 in all, after moving to the Midlands from the Ospreys Under-16s age group five years ago, where he was also skipper.
He made his senior debut for the club in an Anglo-Welsh Cup defeat at Bath in November 2017 then led Wales in the Under-20s Six Nations and throughout the World Junior Championships in 2018 despite being in his first year at that age group.
With the Tigers in the news for all the wrong reasons last week following the departure of England centre Manu Tuilagi following a dispute over wage cuts at the club, director of rugby Geordan Murphy was delighted to announce Reffell has signed on the dotted line despite interest from back home from the Welsh regions. Former Ireland fullback Murphy told the Tigers website: “Tommy represents what Leicester Tigers is about. He’s a tough and courageous young man who comes in every day with the intention to leave a better player than he arrived.
“Tommy understands what it takes and, even at 21 years of age, is a leader in our group.
“There is no question that the appeal to return to Wales was there for him, with clubs across the Welsh regions chasing him, but we presented to Tommy what we believe is a big future at Tigers and he believes in what we are building and chose to recommit.”
Only this weekend, Reffell told The Rugby Paper how he can’t wait to start working with Steve Borthwick following the arrival last week of the new head coach from Eddie Jones’ backroom England team.
The former lock officially took the reins of the Tigers last Wednesday and Reffell admitted: “I’m especially excited because of the knowledge Steve is going to bring in.
“With the players he’s worked with, and the teams he’s worked at, he’ll be a real breath of fresh air for the place.”
And Reffell is hoping Borthwick can help take his game to the next level.
“Ever since I arrived at Leicester in the academy, the main goal for me was to get into the first team, play regularly, and make a name for myself.
“I was really happy with the amount of trust the coaches have shown in me this season. It is now about me building myself up and put a marker down in these games coming up.
“There’s some world class players to have worn the No.7 jersey here, so when I pull the shirt on, there’s a sense of pride, there’s a sense of I’ve worked hard for the jersey, I just want to play well in it.”