Leicester Tigers have agreed new contract terms with senior players including Ed Slater, Louis Deacon and Anthony Allen.
Slater captained the team through the final third of the 2013/14 season in which he also gained his first call-up to the England squad and was shortlisted in the supporters’ Player of the Year awards.
Club vice-captains Deacon and Allen have also agreed to extend their contracts with the Tigers.
Second-rower Deacon has made more than 270 appearances in 13 seasons with Tigers, while Allen has topped 110 appearances since joining the club in 2009.
Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill has also confirmed that David Mele, Blaine Scully, Adam Thompstone and Gonzalo Camacho will stay at the club beyond the duration of their current contracts.
Young props Tom Bristow, Tiziano Pasquali and Riccardo Brugnara have committed their futures to the club and England age-group internationals George Catchpole, Tom Price and Harry Thacker have also agreed new terms with Tigers.
Cockerill said: “Continuity is always important in our squad and we like to keep the core of players together so they can work and develop together.
“Ed Slater has had an outstanding season while Deacs and Anth Allen are among the most experienced leaders in the group and we’re delighted to agree new deals with all three of them. They are very important to the squad, on and off the field.
“Adam Thompstone and David Mele have settled very well at the club and were very keen to extend their contracts while Blaine Scully is developing all the time as a player and we want him here for the longer term.
“Gonzalo has been very unlucky with injury but he wants to stay and we look forward to seeing him in a Tigers shirt.
“The three young props have been in and around the senior squad this season and are learning their trade in a very strong environment, while we also want to see young players come through the Academy each season and establishing themselves in the senior squad.
“With a few new signings for next season too, we’ve done a lot of work to assemble a strong squad again and we look forward to working with them.”
This season’s top try-scorer Vereniki Goneva has already agreed a new contract.
The following players have already announced moves to new clubs this summer: Ryan Bower (Worcester Warriors), Toby Flood (Toulouse), Rob Hawkins (Newcastle Falcons), Boris Stankovich (Newport Gwent Dragons), Scott Steele (London Irish), Thomas Waldrom (Exeter Chiefs) and Harry Wells (Bedford).
Former England hooker George Chuter and young second-rower Joe Cain have announced their retirement from rugby.
In addition, Tigers can confirm the departures this summer of Dan Bowden, Michael Noone and Jerome Schuster, plus development squad members Pasqualle Dunn, Lucas Guillaume, Henry Purdy and Harry Rudkin.
Slater captained the team through the final third of the 2013/14 season in which he also gained his first call-up to the England squad and was shortlisted in the supporters’ Player of the Year awards.
Club vice-captains Deacon and Allen have also agreed to extend their contracts with the Tigers.
Second-rower Deacon has made more than 270 appearances in 13 seasons with Tigers, while Allen has topped 110 appearances since joining the club in 2009.
Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill has also confirmed that David Mele, Blaine Scully, Adam Thompstone and Gonzalo Camacho will stay at the club beyond the duration of their current contracts.
Young props Tom Bristow, Tiziano Pasquali and Riccardo Brugnara have committed their futures to the club and England age-group internationals George Catchpole, Tom Price and Harry Thacker have also agreed new terms with Tigers.
Cockerill said: “Continuity is always important in our squad and we like to keep the core of players together so they can work and develop together.
“Ed Slater has had an outstanding season while Deacs and Anth Allen are among the most experienced leaders in the group and we’re delighted to agree new deals with all three of them. They are very important to the squad, on and off the field.
“Adam Thompstone and David Mele have settled very well at the club and were very keen to extend their contracts while Blaine Scully is developing all the time as a player and we want him here for the longer term.
“Gonzalo has been very unlucky with injury but he wants to stay and we look forward to seeing him in a Tigers shirt.
“The three young props have been in and around the senior squad this season and are learning their trade in a very strong environment, while we also want to see young players come through the Academy each season and establishing themselves in the senior squad.
“With a few new signings for next season too, we’ve done a lot of work to assemble a strong squad again and we look forward to working with them.”
This season’s top try-scorer Vereniki Goneva has already agreed a new contract.
The following players have already announced moves to new clubs this summer: Ryan Bower (Worcester Warriors), Toby Flood (Toulouse), Rob Hawkins (Newcastle Falcons), Boris Stankovich (Newport Gwent Dragons), Scott Steele (London Irish), Thomas Waldrom (Exeter Chiefs) and Harry Wells (Bedford).
Former England hooker George Chuter and young second-rower Joe Cain have announced their retirement from rugby.
In addition, Tigers can confirm the departures this summer of Dan Bowden, Michael Noone and Jerome Schuster, plus development squad members Pasqualle Dunn, Lucas Guillaume, Henry Purdy and Harry Rudkin.
