Several clubs were in the running to hire him.
And it was ultimately Aviron Bayonnais who won the jackpot.
The English center three-quarter Manu Tuilagi (32 years old) signed up with Bayonne, according to information from Canal +, while he was also courted by Montpellier and Perpignan, where he could play alongside his nephew, the phenomenon of the Blues, Posolo Tuilagi.
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Native of Samoa, Manu Tuilagi has worn the England jersey 59 times since 2011 (20 tries), the last time on Saturday at Groupama Stadium against the XV of France during the Crunch in the Six Nations Tournament.
Returning from a hamstring injury, he will only have played this last match in the 2024 Six Nations. Asked at a press conference on Friday, the English center was laconic about his future: “
To be honest, I don't I don’t really know what I’ll do tomorrow!”
Also read: Six Nations: England wants to get out of the rut
From now on, as he plays abroad, he will no longer be eligible for the XV de la Rose.
During his career in the Premiership, he has only known two clubs: Leicester Tigers (2009-2020) and Sale Sharks (since 2020).
Promoted to the Top 14 last season, Aviron Bayonnais was the pleasant surprise of the last exercise, struggling for a long time to secure a place in the top 6. This season, the Basque club is 9th with 39 points, five points behind Racing 92, sixth.