The England scrum-half Ben Youngs has signed a new contract with Leicester to end speculation that he was considering joining Bath, while Manu Tuilagi has also committed his future to the club.
The 24-year-old Tuilagi was due to be a free agent at the end of this campaign, and he had been linked with the likes of Wasps and Saracens, but the Tigers have now tied him down on a day when four of their players penned new deals.
“The Tigers has been a big part of my life and following my brothers into the team here was a very proud moment for me,” Tuilagi, who is currently out of action with a groin injury, said.
“The club always wants to be successful, the players and coaches set very high standards and we are always looking to improve. It is a great club and I’m very settled here. The club and the supporters have been very good to me.”
Youngs, who was linked with a move to the Recreation Ground, has instead decided to remain with his hometown club. “The fact my dad was a Leicester Tigers player and that I can play alongside my brother in the Tigers team here each week is very important to me,” he said.
“I’ve been at the club for a long time and it’s a great experience to be involved at a club with that strong family connection.
“I’m really enjoying my rugby here, working with Richard Cockerill, Aaron Mauger and the rest of the coaching team. We have a great backroom staff and coaching team, which is important too.
“We’ve had a good start to the season and it’s good to see players like Matt Toomua coming in for next season as well as the guys who are agreeing new contracts from the current squad.”
Ed Slater, 27, who made his 100th appearance for Leicester in November and guided them to their fifth Premiership win in six games at the weekend, has also signed a new deal along with the fly-half Freddie Burns, who arrived in the summer of 2014 having accrued over 1,000 points with his previous club, Gloucester.
“Ed has made a massive contribution over the last six seasons as a Leicester Tigers player,” Cockerill, the director of rugby, said.
“He is the club captain because he is an outstanding player and an important member of the first-team squad on and off the field.
“We’re very happy that he has agreed new terms beyond the end of this season and we look forward to seeing his continued influence on those around him as well as his development as a player. Ed is among the English-qualified players and leaders at the heart of the squad, which is extremely important to the culture of the club.”
Burns, who has represented England on five occasions, added that he is keen to add to the history of the Premiership’s most-decorated club.
He said: “When I first came to Tigers last summer I always thought of it as a long-term move for me, not a short-term fix, and I’m very happy to have agreed a new contract to stay. Leicester is a great club with a lot of history and hopefully this group of players can add some history of their own.”
