Ellis Genge to leave Leicester Tigers at end of season

Leicester Tigers have confirmed that England prop Ellis Genge will leave the Gallagher Premiership at the end of the ongoing 2021/22 season.

The 26-year-old has been part of the Tigers since 2016 and has gone on to make 96 appearances for the club including over 70 Premiership games.

Genge was appointed the captain of the club ahead of the 2021/22 season replacing Tom Youngs. Leicester are yet to lose a game this season having won all nine matches in the Gallagher Premiership and two in the Premiership Rugby Cup. The club also kick-started their Heineken Champions Cup campaign with a victory over Bordeaux Begles.

“I’ll be forever grateful for what this club has given me," he told the club's official website.

“I’ve created lifelong friendships and learned a great deal.

“The club has been amazing in understanding my reasons for this decision and I will continue to give everything I have got for the boys and the fans of Leicester Tigers for the rest of this season.”

Genge made his England debut in May 2016 and has gone on to play 31 Tests including two games in the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Leicester Tigers head coach Steve Borthwick paid tribute to Genge and is confident of him making a strong finish with the club in the season.

“This is a personal decision for Ellis, which I know has not been easy for him, and, while disappointed, we respect his reasons for choosing to depart at season’s end.

“It has been a great privilege of mine to work with Ellis over the past five years, first with England and even more closely since I joined the club.

“We have a long way to go this season and Ellis is fully committed to finishing his time at Leicester Tigers in the same professional, passionate way he has represented Tigers during his six seasons at the club.”