Premiership
London Irish Dropped by Sponsor
London Irish have been dropped by Cash Converters following the signing of one of their new players
London Irish have been dropped by sponsors Cash Converters following the club’s decision to sign fly-half Paddy Jackson.
Jackson has been one of a number of signings by the club who hope to stay up next season following their promotion to the Premiership.
The former Ulster player’s contract was terminated by the Irish province and the IRFU after he was acquitted in a rape trial last year.
However, their sponsors have decided that they can no longer associate themselves with the club due to the incident that Jackson was involved in.
“As a company, we are committed to the highest possible standards when it comes to our investments in any sponsorships and collaborations. As a result of a detailed and thorough review of our support for London Irish, we have decided to discontinue our association with the club,” they said on Twitter.
The company buys and sells second-hand goods and only signed a three-year sponsorship deal with London Irish in September of last year but will not be involved anymore due to the values that they stand for.
“Our sponsorships and collaborations are incredibly important to us and we always strive to partner with companies who reflect our ethos and values. After careful consideration and a detailed analysis of our support for London Irish, we have decided to discontinue our association with the club. We would like to wish London Irish good luck with their future endeavours and thank their fans for welcoming our company since 2018,” a spokesperson for the company said to RugbyPass.
The company will continue to sponsor both rugby league side St Helens and Scottish Premiership football team Motherwell.
The signing of Jackson was always going to be controversial with fans being the first to show discontent when many threatened to boycott games on social media and used the #IBelieveHer hashtag associated with the trial in 2018.
Irish will now have to cope with one less sponsor as the backlash continues from their signing.
Update: London Irish have since come out and stated that ‘Cash Converters’ decision to no longer sponsor the club was made prior to announcement of signings made in May.
Sale Sharks have agreed a deal to sign Fiji captain Waisea Nayacalevu from French Top14 side Toulon.
The explosive centre, who starred for his country during the recent World Cup, has signed a one-year contract with an option for a further year.
He will join up with Alex Sanderson’s Sharks squad ahead of the start of the 2024/25 Gallagher Premiership season.
Waisea, 33, said: “I’ve watched the Premiership for a long time and it’s always been in the back of my mind that I would love to play there one day and experience rugby in England.
“Now that opportunity has arrived and I’m really, really happy and grateful. I’m so excited to get over there and join the boys and see how I can contribute to the team.
“I have spoken to Telusa Veainu and he only has positive things to say about the club and about Manchester.
“I’m looking forward to playing with some of the guys I’ve played against, like Tom Curry and George Ford. But I also know there are a lot of really talented young players in the Sale Sharks squad and I’m excited to share my experience and help them develop as much as I can.
“I told Alex that it’s what I’ve been doing for the last few years of my career and it’s something I’m passionate about.”
Nayacalevu, who stands at 6’4” and weighs in at 16st 7lb, spent ten years at Top14 side Stade Français before making the switch to Toulon in 2022.
He has won 34 caps for Fiji, slotting in at both centre and on the wing, and captained his country at last year’s World Cup, where the Pacific Islanders made the quarter-finals, losing 30-24 to England in Marseille.
He also famously scored for Fiji in their memorable pre-World Cup win against England at Twickenham.
Images & Content from Sale Sharks Rugby
Phil Brantingham to join Saracens
Prop-forward Phil Brantingham will leave Newcastle Falcons in the summer to join Saracens.
The 22-year-old has played 25 games for his home town club, and leaves with the thanks and best wishes of everyone at the Falcons.
Chairman of rugby Matt Thompson said: “Phil has done well for us and we made him a good offer to stay here.
“We respect his decision and wish him all the best for his move in the summer, but between now and then he will be fully committed to finishing the season strongly for Newcastle Falcons.”
Source – Newcastle Falcons Rugby
Sale Sharks can confirm that forward Cobus Wiese will leave the club at the end of the season to return to South Africa.
The 26-year-old lock has played almost 80 games for the club and scored five tries since joining from the DHL Stormers ahead of the 2020/21 season.
He played a key role last year as Sale reached the Premiership final, and this season he has featured a further 13 times for Alex Sanderson’s side.
Alex said: “Cobus will be missed by all of us on so many levels. He’s the most polite and courteous of people off the field, but the most wildly excitable man on the field, and on a night out.
“To say Cobus wears his heart on his sleeve is to do him a disservice with regards to his emotional commitment for which his body has paid the price on occasion.
“He leads by example and has earnt the respect and adoration of the group both on a professional and a personal level. We wish him every success and happiness with his move back home.”
Everyone at Sale Sharks would like to thank Cobus for his contribution to the club and the team during his time here and we wish him all the very best for the future.
Images & Content from Sale Sharks Rugby
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