These are your evening rugby headlines on Wednesday, May 20.
Dallaglio’s bankruptcy plight continues
Former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio’s financial plight is set to continue following news that his bankruptcy has been extended for a further three months, with the 2003 Rugby World Cup winner facing a new insolvency hearing in August.
The 53-year-old was declared bankrupt last year, owing hundreds of thousands of pounds in tax, and was due to be discharged in a matter of days, with the restrictions imposed by bankruptcy typically ending after 12 months in England and Wales.
However, as reported by The Telegraph, the term can be extended by a judge and, following an application made to the High Court by the joint trustee of Dallaglio’s bankruptcy, the Wasps legend’s discharge has been suspended.
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Confirming the development, the former back row forward said: “This was agreed by mutual consent while I continue to work with my trustee in bankruptcy in dealing with my estate.”
Documents filed to Companies House last year showed that Dallaglio owed £423,570 in overdrawn director’s loans for his now-bust firm Lawrence Dallaglio Limited, as well as more than £60,000 to liquidators.
Claims totalling around £350,000 and £61,000 had also been made, respectively, by HM Revenue & Customs and two other creditors.
It came two years after Dallaglio narrowly avoiding going bust over an unpaid tax bill believed to amount to around £700,000.
In May last year, an insolvency court hearing had been triggered by Dallaglio’s estranged wife Alice who was seeking an ‘urgent’ order to push the sale of the couple’s Surrey mansion through in a bid to save him from potential financial ruin.
However, while the sale went through, he was still declared bankrupt, with one of his creditors securing the order.
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Tshiunza suffers fresh blow
Wales international Christ Tshiunza looks to have sustained a fresh injury setback after reportedly suffering a hamstring strain in the final moments of Exeter Chiefs’ defeat to Harlequins on Saturday.
The 24-year-old, who will join fellow PREM Rugby side Sale Sharks next season, returned to action last month having broken his foot on the opening weekend of the league season in September, before a “freakish” setback in his recovery ruled him out of the Six Nations.
It was the second time Tshiunza had broken his foot, having also missed five months of the 2023/24 season after picking up the injury in his first game back from Rugby World Cup duty with Wales.
Four games into his return to action, however, he appears to have been caught up in what Chiefs boss Rob Baxter has described as a “relatively significant injury situation”, with our sister title DevonLive reporting that the forward suffered a potential hamstring strain while making an 80th minute recovery tackle against Quins.
‘It looks like we have got a relatively significant injury situation,” said Baxter after watching his side lose 41-24 at the Stoop. “We had a few challenges, but that is not an excuse for the result; you just have to deal with it.”
As well as Tshiunza, Italy international Ross Vintcent suffered what appeared to be an ankle injury as he was helped off the field by medical staff, while there are also fitness concerns over centre Len Ikitau and full-back Olly Woodburn.
England great to be monitored
By Duncan Bech, Press Association
Courtney Lawes’ performances in the Gallagher Prem next season will be monitored closely by Steve Borthwick as the England great targets an international comeback.
Lawes retired from Test rugby after the 2023 World Cup but his ambitions of returning to the global stage have been rekindled after he decided to end his two-year spell at French second-tier club Brive to join Sale.
The 37-year-old flanker is not being considered for July’s first phase of the Nations Championship against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina even though he becomes eligible for selection once the Pro D2 season is over.
However, alongside centre Joe Marchant who has also signed for Sale following at spell at Stade Francais, Test centurion Lawes is firmly on Borthwick’s radar for a 2026-27 campaign that leads all the way to the World Cup in Australia.
“I’m certainly looking forward to watching Courtney in the Prem against other players who are eligible, as I am with Joe Marchant,” Borthwick said “Watching him in Pro D2, the context is sightly different but I know that Courtney is a proven Test match player and a proven leader.
“Courtney wanting to come back shows what an incredible character and fantastic leader he is. When we took the lead against Fiji in the quarter-final of the last World Cup, Fiji threw everything at us. At a critical moment, Courtney stepped up to win a crucial turnover.
“When I talk about character, I’m talking about players who are tough enough to do exactly what the team needs to win that moment.
“Courtney is that type of character and he’s done it so many times for England at the highest level. I’m delighted to have a player like that coming back to play in England and there are a number of players at Sale who he is going to be a tremendous influence over.”
While Lawes’ England comeback pursuit will be a fascinating storyline to next season, Borthwick’s immediate task is preparing his squad for a 25,000 mile summer odyssey across three continents.
It opens against South Africa in Johannesburg on July 4, continues with a clash with Fiji in Liverpool and ends in a trip to Santiago del Estero to face Argentina – all on successive weekends.
England are looking to bounce back from their worst ever Six Nations performance which included an historic first defeat to Italy and Borthwick sees the itinerary as an opportunity to test his players’ mettle.
“Three matches in three weeks on three continents is…quite a challenge,” said Borthwick, who will not be splitting his squad at any stage of the tour. “I’m excited by challenges like this and I’m looking forward to learning even more about the players – who gets enthused and loves a challenge like this and who steps up.
“Each and every time I find out more about the character within this group and what we need to have going forward.”
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