Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

London Irish confirm further departures including three internationals

(Photo by Juan Gasperini/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

London Irish have confirmed the departure of eleven players at the end of the season, which includes over 200 caps-worth of experience.

ADVERTISEMENT

Alongside the already confirmed departures of Albert Tuisue (joining Gloucester), George Nott (joining Dragons), Terrence Hepetema (joining Grenoble), Sean O’Brien (retiring), Steve Mafi (joining Oyonnax) and Phil Cokanasiga (joining Leicester Tigers), the Exiles today confirmed that 72-cap Australian scrum-half Nick Phipps will also depart the Brentford Community Stadium at the end of the season, alongside 34-cap Scotland prop Allan Dell, seven-cap South Africa prop Marcel van der Merwe, Rory Brand and Cillian Redmond.

On top of that list, players who also joined the Exiles this season on short term injury cover, Olly Cracknell, Noel Reid, Jamie Dever, Tadgh McElroy and Alandré van Rooyen, will also leave.

Video Spacer

Win Tickets and Flights to the final of Major League Rugby

Video Spacer

Win Tickets and Flights to the final of Major League Rugby

With London Irish’s chances of making the Gallagher Premiership top four extinguished, and with a bye week in the final round of the season this weekend, these players would have already played their final game in green.

“The players departing the Club leave with our thanks for everything that they have contributed to London Irish, both on and off the field,” said director of rugby Declan Kidney.

“With 37 first XV games played this season, it’s been a whole squad effort to get through over 3,000 minutes of rugby. There have been ups and downs, but this squad has stuck together through thick and thin and will come out the stronger for it. That is a testament to who they are as people, and it has been an absolute pleasure to work with every one of them.

“On behalf of everyone at London Irish, I would like to wish all the best to the departing players, staff and their families for the future. Like anybody leaving London Irish, they are always welcome at the Club.”

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

B
Bull Shark 2 hours ago
Rassie Erasmus' Boks selection policy is becoming bizarre

To be fair, the only thing that drives engagement on this site is over the top critiques of Southern Hemisphere teams.


Or articles about people on podcasts criticizing southern hemisphere teams.


Articles regarding the Northern Hemisphere tend to be more positive than critical. I guess to also rile up kiwis and Saffers who seem to be the majority of followers in the comments section. There seems to be a whole department dedicated to Ireland’s world ranking news.


Despite being dialled into the Northern edition - I know sweet fokall about what’s going on in France.


And even less than fokall about what’s cutting in Japan - which has a fast growing, increasingly premium League competition emerging.


And let’s not talk about the pacific. Do they even play rugby Down there.


Oh and the Americas. I’ve read more articles about a young, stargazing Welshman’s foray into NFL than I have anything related to either the north and south continents of the Americas.


I will give credit that the women’s game is getting decent airtime. But for the rest and the above; it’s just pathetic coming from a World Rugby website.


Just consider the innovation emerging in Japan with the pedigree of coaches over there.


There’s so much good we could be reading.


Instead it’s unimaginative “critical for the sake of feigning controversial”. Which is lazy, because in order to pull that off all you need to be really good at is:


1. Being a doos;

2. Having an opinion.


No prior experience needed.


Which is not journalism. That’s like all or most of us in the comments section. People like Finn (who I believe is a RP contributor).


Anyway. Hopefully it will get better. The game is growing and the interest in the game is growing. Maybe it will attract more qualified journalists over time.

18 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ 'There will be no honeymoon period for Borthwick's wedding usher El-Abd' 'There will be no honeymoon period for Borthwick's wedding usher El-Abd'
Search