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Racing 92 star Junior Kpoku may have route back to English rugby
By Neil Fissler
Sale Sharks have been sniffing around England Under-20 star Junior Kpoku to explore if it is possible to bring him back to the Premiership from Top 14 strugglers Racing 92. Kpoku, 19, was a member of England’s Under-20 World Cup-winning side last year and has been tracked by the Sharks since he started Racing’s Champions Cup second-round defeat in the north-west before Christmas.
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One of three rugby-playing brothers all plying their trade in France, Joel (also a lock who can play on the blindside) is with Pau, and his twin Jonathan (another lock) is at Bourgoin-Jallieu in the third-tier Nationale. The trio hail from Newham in East London, with parents from DR Congo, and all came through the Saracens system before moving across the Channel.
Junior joined Exeter Chiefs in August 2023 but left for Racing 92 within weeks for family reasons, making his Top 14 debut in a derby defeat to Stade Français in February 2024. He has since made 11 appearances for Racing. He is highly thought of by England coach Steve Borthwick, who had him training with the senior squad ahead of the thrilling victory over Les Bleus in February.
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Borthwick and the RFU’s executive director of performance, Conor O’Shea, have also visited him in France, aware that he qualifies for Fabien Galthié’s side on residency in 2026. “France is just where I play rugby. It wouldn’t feel right to represent a different country that I wasn’t born in. I wouldn’t like it. France is a great country, but I don’t think the Marseillaise would be for me.
“Playing for England is in my blood. I was born there, and my family and my friends are all from there. I should represent my own country,” he told the Daily Mail late last year.
Getting the 6ft 8in lock home will not be easy, as it has been reported in France that he agreed to a one-year extension at Racing until 2027, with the option of a second year. If a deal can be reached, the RFU could help by offering an Enhanced Elite Player Squad contract. Borthwick still has eight of these to hand out, each worth up to £160,000.
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