Henry Arundell makes decision on his future as long-term contract signed

England wing sensation Henry Arundell has put pen to paper on a long-term contract with Top 14 giants Racing 92 that rules the youngster out of international contention.

The 21-year-old flyer was reportedly in the middle of a tug-of-war between the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the French side as they looked to secure the player’s services.

It had been reported that Arundell would be offered a hybrid deal at Premiership club Bath in order to lock him in, as he was viewed as having a bright international future.

England setback

That contract would have been the first of its kind and was seen as a hugely positive step by the RFU, but the lure of Racing 92 has seemingly proved too great to ignore.

Racing 92 announced the contract on their social media channels as a video of the speedster showed footage of him scoring tries and beating defenders, as is his wont.

The video on X, formerly Twitter, ended with wing Arundell confirming the contract will run until 2026, which means he will be absent from England duty until at least then.

🇫🇷 Staying. England wing Henry Arundell signs with Racing 92 until 2026.pic.twitter.com/2JTQnMd2eL

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) December 12, 2023

Arundell endured a mixed 2023 Rugby World Cup for England as he scored five tries against Chile in a pool clash but struggled against Argentina in the Bronze Final win.

He is currently playing alongside South Africa captain Siya Kolisi, France pair Cameron Woki and Gael Fickou and several other box office stars at the Paris La Defense Arena.

Arundell lined up at full-back in their recent Champions Cup pool match against Harlequins and is coached by former England boss Stuart Lancaster at Racing 92.

Racing keep their man

England will no doubt miss the youngster’s threat in the backfield but it was unclear whether head coach Steve Borthwick saw him as a pivotal player moving forward.

Borthwick favoured the likes of Freddie Steward, Elliot Daly and Jonny May at the recent tournament in France but, with May retiring after the Rugby World Cup, Arundell would have been pushing hard for regular minutes, which makes his decision to remain at the Top 14 side concerning for the RFU who are also sweating over the future of Maro Itoje.

READ MORE: Former England wing baffled by Henry Arundell’s Racing 92 deal