Northern Edition
Select Edition
Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

37 of last season's Premiership players still have no new contract

Virimi Vakatawa in the Bristol colours last season (Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images)

The Rugby Players’ Association have confirmed that an entire squad’s worth of last season’s Gallagher Premiership players – including Virimi Vakatawa – are still without a contract just three weeks before the start of the 2024/25 season.

ADVERTISEMENT

Of the 185 players who left their top-flight clubs at the end of last season, 70 had no contract to move on to – a total slightly down from last summer’s record high of 80 left in the lurch.

With the new campaign commencing on September 20 with defending champions Northampton visiting beaten finalists Bath and Bristol due to travel to last season’s strugglers Newcastle, 37 of the 70 players left without a contract at the start of this summer are still hunting for a new deal.

Video Spacer

Pacific Nations Cup – Kings of the Ocean intro | RPTV

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:36
Loaded: 0.00%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:36
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
    • en (Main), selected
    Video Spacer

    Pacific Nations Cup – Kings of the Ocean intro | RPTV

    The title sequence for the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup, as six teams; Canada, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and USA battle to be crowned kings of the Ocean! Watch every match live and for free on RugbyPass TV or via your local broadcaster

    WATCH NOW

    The list features several high-profile players, including former France midfielder Vakatawa. He was released by Pat Lam’s Bristol after just a single season at Ashton Gate.

    This lack of opportunity for so many players illustrates how employment opportunities in English rugby’s top flight continue to narrow following the devastating effects of Worcester, Wasps and London Irish going bust throughout the 2022/23 season, reducing the league from 13 to 10 teams.

    Fixture
    Gallagher Premiership
    Bath
    38 - 16
    Full-time
    Northampton
    All Stats and Data

    Luke Cheyne, head of player development and well-being at the RPA, explained: “In the last few years we have lost three squads; 187 players were effectively made redundant and those contracts are effectively no longer available.

    “This season we are still feeling the effects of everything that happened in 2022/23 with Wasps, Worcester and London Irish, salary cap changes and so on and so forth.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “We have seen the change to smaller squad sizes, which is a sensible one, and there will probably be a little bit of difficulty whilst those changes happen.”

    Related

    ADVERTISEMENT
    Play Video

    Classic Wallabies vs British & Irish Legends | First Match | Full Match Replay

    Play Video

    Did the Lions loosies get away with murder? And revisiting the Springboks lift | Whistle Watch

    Play Video

    The First Test, Visiting The Great Barrier Reef & Poetry with Pierre | Ep 6: The Ultimate Test

    Play Video

    KOKO Show | July 22nd | Full Throttle with Brisbane Test Review and Melbourne Preview

    Play Video

    New Zealand v South Africa | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

    Play Video

    USA vs England | Men's International | Full Match Replay

    Play Video

    France v Argentina | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

    Play Video

    Lions Share | Episode 4

    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 Long Reads

    Comments on RugbyPass

    TRENDING
    TRENDING Many Springboks fans are saying same thing about the Lions Many Springboks fans are saying same thing about the Lions