Bidding war tops $1m for England World Cup reject Manu Tuilagi

World Cup reject Manu Tuilagi is the centre of a tug o' war that is set to see him become English club rugby's richest player at $1.15 million a season.

The Samoa-born hulking centre was discarded from England's World Cup disaster when coach Stuart Lancaster's hard-line disciplinary attitude in the leadup to the tournament saw Tuilagi dropped after he was convicted of assaulting two female police officers and damaging a taxi.

Now the recent hike in the salary cap by $2.13m is set to earn the 24-year-old Samoan a fortune as a bidding war for his services escalates.

Last month Saracens offered Tuilagi a $920,000 deal.

But Tuilagi's club Leicester and ambitious Worcester have raised the stakes beyond the million dollar mark as they look to land him for next season.

Rugby league convert Sam Burgess was on a record deal at Bath worth just over $1m a season.

But he cut out of that with two years to run on his rugby contract to return to the NRL in Australia with Souths, having been a victim of England's World Cup failure.

The versatile Tuilagi, who can play midfield or wing, has played 25 tests for England since 2011 and was part of the British & Irish Lions triumph in Australia in 2013

 

Author: 
PACNEWS