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Offer made to Semi Radradra after his weekend Top 14 trip - report

24 Jan 2023

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Semi Radradra reportedly spent time in France last weekend visiting a Top 14 club after playing for Bristol in their Friday night home Challenge Cup pool stage win over Perpignan. The Fijian powerhouse is out of contract at the Bears at the end of the current season and he has been linked for some time with a switch back across the Channel.

It was the summer of 2020 when Radradra first arrived in Bristol from Bordeaux and within months of joining, the midfielder won the Challenge Cup final with the English club.

However, with a squeeze now on salaries in the Premiership via the reduced salary cap and the reduction from two to one marquee player per club, the expectation is that the 30-year-old will return to the Top 14 for next season.

Radradra first went to France to play for Toulon in 2017, but he switched to Bordeaux the following year and it was that club that was initially rumoured to be the front-runner to re-sign him from Bristol.

However, it has now been reported that Radradra spent last weekend in Lyon and has received an offer to join as a replacement for the Racing 92-bound Josua Tuisova. A story in L’Equipe read: “According to our information, Lyon have sent an offer to Semi Radradra and the Fijian centre could sign up for next season from Bristol.

“This weekend, the Fijian midfielder, who can also play on the wing, visited the facilities and spoke with the leaders of the Rhone club. There was also talk about the condition of his knee which was in doubt. The medical examinations passed by the former league star have, it seems, been rather reassuring and the ball is now in Semi Radradra’s court.

“Bordeaux had looked at the possibility of bringing back the Fijian centre (11 caps) after a first stint between 2018 and 2020, but the Girondin club finally completed the signing of Damian Penaud. And it is now Lyon, in search of an X-factor following the departure of Josua Tuisova to Racing 92, which has positioned itself. At the end of his contract in Bristol, Radradra wanted to take up a new challenge.”

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Comments on RugbyPass

DS 13 minutes ago

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Let’s blame a Chief instead ! 😀

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DS 19 minutes ago

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My bad. Let’s just carry on failing with the same tried and true. When DMac was 10 v France in Dunedin the ABs scored 7 tries; the same in Mendoza. Let's leave him on the bench till the game is already lost or better yet in the stands just in case he might run sideways. BB and SloMo can get the job done. No need to take a risk, especially now that Razor loves his Little Mo. SA will be delighted. No risk Kiwi - that’s the answer / the road to Cup success!

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Blackmania 26 minutes ago

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IkeaBoy 56 minutes ago

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IkeaBoy 59 minutes ago

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IkeaBoy 1 hour ago

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IkeaBoy 1 hour ago

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Mitch 1 hour ago

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fl 1 hour ago

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One factor that might be important is that NBA and the NFL are 1 league sports. Rugby league is pretty much a 2 league sport, and those 2 leagues are so far apart there can’t be much trading between them. Rugby union and especially association football have many more leagues, and so there are more opportunities for younger managers to break through.

Also, the fact that Rugby tends to have less chopping and changing of coaches is an argument against hiring older coaches. Hire a good coach in his 40s and he could stay in the job for 20 years, but realistically how long would Les Kiss be the best coach in Australia for?

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LE 1 hour ago

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fl 2 hours ago

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on what basis is earl a better 7 than 8?

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fl 2 hours ago

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he’s never played 6

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Spew_81 2 hours ago

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Agree. I was replying to JHW’s comment.

Most tier one nations, apart from the Pumas and the Springboks are guilty of poaching tier two talent.

It will keep happening until the eligibility rules are properly fixed.

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JD Kiwi 2 hours ago