Leicester Tigers have confirmed a trio of contract extensions today, with three England stars extending their tenure in the East Midland’s for another season. Lock George Martin, internationally retired scrum half Ben Youngs and tight-head prop Joe Heyes all put pen to paper in the East Midlands earlier today.
Joe Heyes deal comes with the added extra of being a ‘long-term deal’, with the club confirming the news in a statement. Having been at the club since the beginning of his senior career, Heyes is one of the most promising props putting their hands up for international contention. The 24-year-old has made seven caps for the national team, with his last test appearence coming against Japan in the 2022 Autumn Internationals.
Having made 132 caps for the Tigers, Heyes said: “It was an easy decision for me to re-sign with Leicester Tigers.”
“Coming through the academy, the club holds a genuinely special place in my heart and there’s nowhere else I would want to play rugby at this stage of my career than in front of our fans at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
“I’m really enjoying the program Dan and the coaches have put in place and it’s been great for us to get some results over the last couple of weeks and build some momentum heading into the new year.”
A product of the Nottingham Lincs and Derby development group, as well as the fabled Tigers academy, Heyes had a breakout debut season in 2018/19 when he made 20 appearances. The tight-head was an integral part of the Leicester side that won the 2021/22 Premiership title, and triumphed over Saracens in the final.
Leicester Tigers General Manager, Richard Wilks said: “Securing a player of Joe’s quality, in a position like tighthead prop, for the long-term was important for us so we’re really pleased to lock him in on contract.”
“He’s an Academy graduate, he loves the club and at 24, having made 132 team appearances already, his best years are ahead of him. We’re all excited to see him go from strength to strength.”
Leicester Tigers head coach, Dan McKellar said: “You can’t win games at this level without quality tighthead props and it’s fantastic for the club to have Joe locked in long term.”
“With the athleticism and power that Joe possesses, he has the potential to be a quality International Tight Head Prop.
“We are fortunate to have depth and quality in such an important position, with Will Hurd, Dan Cole and Heyesy. All three will have important roles to play this season and moving forward.”