James O’Connor farewelled by PREM giants amid ongoing speculation over future as fellow Wallabies star follows
James O'Connor (left) and Izaia Perese (right) will leave Leicester Tigers at the end of the season
Wallabies ace James O’Connor will leave Leicester Tigers at the end of the season, the PREM giants have confirmed.
35-year-old back O’Connor joined at the start of the current campaign from Super Rugby side the Crusaders, and has made 10 appearances at the time of writing. He also notably featured in their PREM Rugby Cup Final triumph over Exeter Chiefs last month.
News of his exit comes amid reports suggesting he is interested in a move back to Australia for next season, while South African URC side the Sharks have also been linked with a move for him as well.
James O’Connor farewelled at Leicester Tigers amid speculation on future
Commenting on his exit from Leicester, O’Connor said: “Firstly, I’d like to thank the Tigers fans, truly has been an awesome experience playing in front of a packed out Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
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“To my teammates, coaches and the organisation. Thank you for welcoming us into your family and making the transition back North seamless.
“But for now, my eyes are still firmly on the business end of this season. I truly feel this group can go all the way and I’m eager to help us achieve this goal.”
Tigers head coach, Geoff Parling, added: “It was great to get Rabs (James O’Connor) with us, and he has been brilliant in bringing an experienced, calming influence to our group of backs.
“We’ve seen the emergence of Billy and Landy which has led to less game time than first imagined, but he’s still had a huge impact on what we do and even dipped his toe into coaching with us during the Prem Cup.
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“He’ll continue to contribute massively to the run-in and bring ideas and diligence in what he does.”
O’Connor is not the only Wallaby to head for the exit door at Mattioli Woods Welford Road at the end of the season, with centre Izaia Perese also leaving.
Perese joined the East Midlands side at the start of last season and has since made 27 appearances for the club at the time of writing. In that time, he also helped Leicester reach last season’s PREM final, and also featured in their win over Exeter Chiefs to lift the PREM Rugby Cup trophy last month.
Commenting on his exit from the club, Perese said: “I’ll miss this group and I’m proud to have been a part of it. There’s still a job to be done, though, and I’m fully committed to what’s ahead.
“I’d like to say a big thank you to all my coaches and staff for the support and development during my time here.
“To the incredible fans, thank you for the unwavering support. It’s been an honour to represent this club.”
Tigers boss Parling added: “Izzy has offered some great moments in big games and applies himself diligently during training.
“He’s been fantastic to work with, and I think that due to his carry being so impactful, his defensive work at 13 goes unheralded.
“Izzy will always be part of the Leicester Tigers, and we wish him and his family all the best for the future.”
