Manu Tuilagi leaves Leicester Tigers after failing to agree contract to put England future at risk

Five players left the club after failing to agree wage reductions required due to the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with the England centre now free to join another team

Leicester Tigers have confirmed England centre Manu Tuilagi has left the Premiership club after opting not to sign a new contract on reduced terms in line with the league's revised salary cap rules.

Tuilagi is one of five players to have departed, alongside Kyle Eastmond, Telusa Veainu, Greg Batemen and Noel Reid, Tigers CEO Andrea Pinchen said in a video posted on the club website.

"Our fans deserve to know," Pinchen said. "There's no blame game here, this is people we're talking about.

"Everyone has their own circumstances and own thoughts about what they can or can't do, or will or won't do. What's vital now is that we have a squad that's all on board, believes in what we're doing and starts to push forward.

"If some couldn't, then we shake them by the hand and wish them well for the next chapter."

Clubs voted last month to reduce the salary cap from the 2021/22 campaign until 2023/2024, with the ceiling for senior players set at £5m, down from £6.4m, due to the impact of Covid-19.

Players were offered long-term deals on reduced terms with clubs looking to take advantage of a provision that sees only 75 per cent of the wages of a contracted player count towards the revised cap.

Leicester have said they estimated losing approximately £5m pounds in revenue due to disruptions caused by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

The most successful club in English rugby history also confirmed that up to 31 staff members will be made redundant as part of the financial cutbacks.

Reuters