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Leicester Tigers could be set to lose promising loosehead Hills

Owen Hills

Leicester Tigers could be set to lose a promising young loosehead in the form of Owen Hills.

Just this morning it was confirmed that flanker Will Evans is leaving the club for Harlequins, a move that has frustrated many Tigers fans.

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Evans enjoyed a meteoric rise through the Tigers ranks in the closing stages of the 2015/16 season, making his senior debut for Leicester Tigers and then going to the World Under-20s Championships with England, becoming an integral part of the team that reached the final.

However he has seen precious little game time in the years since. Some have suggested that the 6 foot, 90kg Evans was considered too small for a club that prides itself on dominating opposing packs. Tigers also lost undersized hooker Harry Thacker, who has gone on to become a standout player at Bristol Bears since arriving at Ashton Gate last summer.

The 5’11, 116kg Hills doesn’t have a size problem but the 22-year-old is eager for more game time. RugbyPass understands that talks have taken place with both Gloucester and Bristol Bears, and that he could be set to be lured away from Welford Road.

A Leicester Tigers season ticket holder as a youngster, he played his junior rugby at Market Bosworth, before joining the Tigers academy.

He represented both England Under-18s and then Under-20s and reached the Junior World Cup Final in 2015. He graduated from the club’s academy to join the development squad in 2016/17.

According to Tigers’ website, he made his first senior appearance for Tigers in the Marcos Ayerza testimonial fixture against Argentina in 2015 and added senior experience with Moseley, Nottingham and Loughborough Students as he came through the professional ranks.

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J
JW 36 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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