Could a Samoa ‘springboard’ be next for Manu Tuilagi after contract extension?

Manu Tuilagi has agreed a new deal with Bayonne that will see the 34-year-old stay in France until 2027.

Despite rumours of interest from Japan and the potential switch to R360, the former Leicester Tigers man has committed his short-term future to the Southwestern France side.

This means that he will be 36 years old when his contract expires, potentially signalling an end to his rugby career.

This being said, many players now continue to play well into their 30s and even 40s as they benefit from the extensive sports physio and nutrition support at these top clubs.

Former All Black star Ma’a Nonu is playing in the Top 14 at the ripe old age of 43, so it’s not too far-fetched an idea that Tuilagi could still be playing for many years to come. With the next World Cup due to take place in Australia in 2027, the Samoan-born centre could be eyeing up a debut for his home nation.

Manu Tuilagi to Samoa? The key info you need to know

• Tuilagi will be available for Samoa selection ahead of the 2027 World Cup
• The talented centre has been in fine form since arriving in France
• At 34 years old, his body is in better condition than ever before

Manu Tuilagi: Life in France

Following the conclusion of the 2024 Six Nations, Tuilagi left the cold city landscape of Manchester for the sunny city of Bayonne in French Basque Country as he looked to wind down his career with less pressure on the body and more money in the bank.

After a bruising career in the English Premiership, Tuilagi has found a more consistent playing time in the Top 14, participating in 25 of the 33 Bayonne matches since his arrival.

During his time in England, he was a regular visitor to the medical room, often spending months at a time on the sideline and only appearing, what felt like, sporadically for England.

Like many who have arrived before him, Tuilagi has benefitted from the less intense French training regimes and the increased emphasis on maintaining the body, which has seen him fulfil the full 80 minutes in the majority of his matches – an idea that was almost unheard of from Tuilagi back in England.

Samoa switch in store?

Manu Tuilagi’s last match for England was on March 16, 2024. This means that in the spring of 2027, he will be eligible to switch nations ahead of the 2027 World Cup, should he wish to.

The revision of the international eligibility rules has proven exciting for Samoa and Tonga in particular, with the likes of Jacob Umaga, Malakai Fekitoa and Israel Folau all having made the switch in the past. There are even suggestions that Tuilagi’s former England teammates Mako and Billy Vunipola could be eyeing up debuts for Tonga in future.

With only one qualifying place left for the World Cup, Tuilagi will have a keen eye on Samoa as they come up against Paraguay, Belgium and Namibia in a round robin competition to decide which team will head to Australia and which three will watch from afar.

This elicits a very interesting conversation around the future of Manu Tuilagi. If he were to activate his option to perform for Samoa in the World Cup, would he use this as a diving board to end his career with a splash, or a springboard to leap into the next stage of his rugby evolution?

His body is clearly faring much better than in previous years when he was at his ‘peak’, so what’s to say he won’t be able to continue through to the 2030s, like Ma’a Nonu is doing now?

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