England and Bristol Bears prop Ellis Genge has settled his future following reports of a bold attempt to tempt him into switching codes.
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According to iNews, Warrington Wolves CEO Karl Fitzpatrick had developed a connection with Genge and hoped to persuade him to make the move to rugby league, launching an ambitious bid to do so. Warrington Wolves, coached by England rugby league legend Sam Burgess, had high hopes of securing the 58-cap England star.
Warrington’s History of Union Poaching
The Wolves, financially backed by renowned music promoter Simon Moran, have a long-standing tradition of attracting rugby union stars to the 13-man game. Their interest in Genge was seen as another high-profile attempt to bolster their ranks with union talent.
Bristol Bears Secure Genge’s Long-Term Future
However, Bristol Bears moved swiftly to quash the rumours, announcing on Monday that Genge had signed a new long-term deal with the club. The 28-year-old loosehead prop reaffirmed his commitment to Bristol, where he has become a fan favourite.
“This club and city mean so much to me, so I am proud to be committing my long-term future here,” Genge said after signing the contract.
“Proud to Stay in My Hometown”
“I have said before that I am as passionate about playing for Bristol as I am about playing for England, so it was an easy decision to stay,” Genge added. “I have loved being back down here, close to my family in a city I have always called home, and I am really excited about what this group of players can achieve over the next few years.”
WORST EVER ENGLAND XV:
First of all, we have to say that to play for England you have to be a very good player – but these players, for one reason or another, never quite performed as they would have liked in the white jersey.
This team was inspired and partly taken from Mike Cooper’s origional blog on RuckedOver.
Fullback: Mark Van Gisbergen
Yes, he has a cap – only a fleeting one, as a late replacement for Mark Cueto against Australia in 2005 – but he does boast a 100% winning ratio in international colours, so you can’t knock that. His main strengths were dropping the high ball under limited pressure and getting gassed on the outside.
Winger: Barrie-Jon Mather
He became the first player to represent Great Britain in Rugby League and England in Union. His move to union was part funded by the RFU, who were embarking on a strategy of converting some of leagues best talent. However, Mather struggled to make an impact with Sale and moved back to Castleford in 2000. In spite of his poor form with Sale, Clive Woodward gave Mather his debut against Wales in the famous Grand Slam decider in 1999. However, Mather never played for England again after Wales won the game 32-31, following Scott Gibbs’ superb try.
Centre: Joel Tomkins
Tomkins began his League career with Wigan in 2005 and outside of a short stint with the Widnes Vikings in 2007, played with the Warriors until moving to Saracens in 2011. While Tomkins initially struggled to adapt to union, but his form during the beginning of the 2013/14 season saw him earn an England cap against Australia in November 2013. Although he went on to make two further international appearances, he looked completely out of his depth and returned to league soon after.