Nearly 60 players chasing new deals

WORCESTER'S re-emergence as a professional entity and the return of the salary cap to pre-pandemic levels have helped to reduce the number of Premiership players seeking fresh contracts at the season's end.

- JON NEWCOMBE

Nearly 60 players are still chasing new full-time deals, which is around 10 per cent down on last year and significantly fewer than two years ago when the demise of Wasps, Worcester, London Irish and Jersey Reds swelled the ranks of the unemployed, although Newcastle have yet to announce their leavers' list, with the Falcons in the midst of takeover talks, so that number could go up.

Players of the calibre of Wales and British & Irish Lions full-back, Liam Williams, former Springbok and fellow veteran Louis Schreuder, Italian international Dino Lamb, who has been linked with Brive, and Scotland lock Callum Hunter-Hill are believed to be still without a club.

All of the players chasing contracts are being actively supported by the Rugby Players' Association, who provide a range of services to its 700-strong membership.

"In reality, players being out of contract in professional sport isn’t abnormal, and it isn’t abnormal in our sport, of course," said Luke Cheyne, below, the RPA's head of player development and wellbeing.

"Last year, we had 68 at the outset of July 1st, who were effectively starting the 2024/25 season, not yet retired but without a contract. At the moment we are at 57.