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Exit: Leicester Tigers confirm 9 players leaving club
By Ian Cameron
Gallagher Premiership heavyweights Leicester Tigers have confirmed the departure of nine players at the end of the season.
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The nine players who are departing include Chris Ashton, Jimmy Gopperth, Calum Green, Sean Jansen, Kini Murimurivalu, Hosea Saumaki, and Eli Snyman. Tom West and Sam Wolstenholme, who arrived mid-season, will also be leaving.
In addition to the senior players, three academy players – George Loose, Chester Owen, and Riley Williams – will be departing the club.
The announcement of these departures comes after Leicester Tigers agreed early releases with five players during the current season – Freddie Burns, Bryce Hegarty, Nephi Leatigaga, Nemani Nadolo, and Lachlan Shelley. Richard Wigglesworth, who joined the club as a player-coach, announced his retirement midway through the season and before being appointed as the interim head coach.
Against this, the club has already confirmed five additions to the senior squad for next season, including Josh Bassett, Ollie Hassell-Collins, Kyle Hatherell, Jamie Shillcock, and Finn Theobald-Thomas. In addition to these new signings, the club has renewed contracts with twenty-three current players beyond this season.
Leicester Tigers has also welcomed Charlie Atkinson and Tom Whiteley to the club on long-term deals midway through the current campaign. Mike Brown, who joined the club at the beginning of the season, has agreed to a new deal beyond this season, much to the delight of the fans.
As the club prepares for the 2023/24 pre-season programme under new head coach Dan McKellar, Leicester Tigers will confirm next season’s senior and senior academy squads, as well as the coaching team.
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NEW DEALS AGREED: Ollie Chessum, Charlie Clare, Dan Cole, Cameron Henderson, Will Hurd, Dan Kelly, George Martin, Julián Montoya, Jack van Poortvliet, Guy Porter, Dan Richardson, Harry Simmons, Freddie Steward, Harry Wells, James Whitcombe, Lewis Chessum, Sam Edwards, Tim Hoyt, Emeka Ilione, Tom Manz, Archie Vanes, and Joe Woodward.
Gutted to be losing Tom Harrison now - but best of luck to him. Excited about Hassell-Collins and Theobold-Thomas arriving and great to see Steward, Chessum and Chessum (looks potentially even better than his brother) signing new deals.