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'He's taken a huge pay cut' - Ellis Genge to Bristol not about money
By PA
Ellis Genge rejected the prospect of earning more money at Leicester to join his home-town club Bristol next season, according to Bears director of rugby Pat Lam.
Genge dropped a bombshell on Steve Borthwick’s resurgent Gallagher Premiership leaders, the team he has led with distinction this season, by declining to activate an extra year on his contract.
Instead, the 26-year-old is returning to the club where he launched his professional career in 2013 to unite with fellow England prop Kyle Sinckler in a formidable front row.
And Lam revealed that the hard running loosehead is taking a pay cut because the pull of returning home trumped the money on offer at Welford Road.
“If he had stayed at Leicester it would have been a lot more financially beneficial for him,” Lam said.
“He has taken a huge pay cut to come back, but money was not his motivating reason. His motivation was about coming home and inspiring the next generation.
“We had a discussion. I thought it was only going to be an hour and it was three hours. We just talked about life and when I walked out, it was dark.
“What struck was his love for this place and I was honest with him, I don’t have what he’s being paid at Leicester, but he was still determined to come over.”
Genge has risen to become one of three England vice-captains after winning the first of his 31 caps in 2016, despite hailing from the tough Knowle West council estate in south Bristol.
He runs ‘Baby Rhino’, a company that offers coaching clinics and mentoring to young aspiring players.
“I’ve been in Bristol for four years and I know most of the areas around here. He talked about his life and his desire to come home,” Lam said.
“He felt like he wanted to put on the jersey and make a difference for the people that he knows. He comes home lots.
“I didn’t realise that the kids who can’t afford to do the (Baby Rhino) summer camps and holiday programmes, he funds them and comes in and does it for free because he believes everyone deserves an opportunity like he’s had.
“It’s really inspirational and you can feel his passion for this place, which is awesome. It’s exactly what I love about him.
“He’s a world-class player and you could put any number on his back, so he will fit our game perfectly and add real value.”
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Latest Comments
Nah, that just needs some more variation. Chip kicks, grubber stabs, all those. Will Jordan showed a pretty good reason why the rush was bad for his link up with BB.
If you have an overlap on a rush defense, they naturally cover out and out and leave a huge gap near the ruck.
It also helps if both teams play the same rules. ARs set the offside line 1m past where the last mans feet were😅
Go to commentsYeah nar, should work for sure. I was just asking why would you do it that way?
It could be achieved by outsourcing all your IP and players to New Zealand, Japan, and America, with a big Super competition between those countries raking it in with all of Australia's best talent to help them at a club level. When there is enough of a following and players coming through internally, and from other international countries (starting out like Australia/without a pro scene), for these high profile clubs to compete without a heavy australian base, then RA could use all the money they'd saved over the decades to turn things around at home and fund 4 super sides of their own that would be good enough to compete.
That sounds like a great model to reset the game in Aus. Take a couple of decades to invest in youth and community networks before trying to become professional again. I just suggest most aussies would be a bit more optimistic they can make it work without the two decades without any pro club rugby bit.
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