Lote Tuqiri

Leicester coach Richard Cockerill was tight-lipped when asked about reports that former Australia wing Lote Tuqiri was on his way to the club. A report in the Sydney Telegraph suggested Tuqiri, whose central contract with the Australian Rugby Union was cancelled in July for an alleged code of conduct breach, had already signed for the Tigers. But Cockerill, speaking after Leicester's 29-15 English Premiership victory over Northampton on Saturday, said: "I have no comment to make. As far as I am aware it is a non-story for me. "We have been linked with him along with London Irish, Toulon and everybody else," Cockerill added. ... Read Full Story

Sacked Wallaby winger Lote Tuqiri said Friday he preferred to stay in Australia and not seek a move to French club rugby union. Tuqiri, who is legally challenging the termination of his lucrative contract with the Australian Rugby Union, has been linked with Bayonne in France, but he put paid to the speculation. "My family is quite settled here now, we like Sydney and we like Australia, we don't really want to move and everything else and uproot," Tuqiri said on television. Tuqiri, whose case against the ARU began here on Friday, said a return to rugby league made sense for family reasons, if ... Read Full Story

Wallaby Lote Tuqiri says he is devastated after being dumped by the Australian Rugby Union, a decision which effectively ended his chances of winning a World Cup with his teammates. The 67-Test winger said he has been in a state of shock since being told by the ARU on Wednesday that they were terminating his lucrative five-year contract, due to expire in 2012 over a "standard employment matter". Both the ARU and Tuqiri have refused to fully disclose details, citing legal reasons. Amid reported outrage among some of his Wallabies' teammates over his sacking, Tuqiri, 29, revealed on Sunday his feelings about the dramatic ... Read Full Story

Legal teams for both sides in Wallaby winger Lote Tuqiri's court action against the Australian Rugby Union Friday requested that the ARU's reasons for sacking him be kept private, court officials said. The ARU last month dumped Tuqiri, a veteran of 67 Tests, halfway through a five-year contract -- reportedly worth 700,000 dollars (588,000 US) a year -- for undisclosed reasons. Tuqiri has instigated court action against his contract termination by the ARU and the matter was briefly mentioned before Justice Clifford Einstein in the NSW Supreme Court on Friday. Lawyers for both Tuqiri and the ARU argued that documents related to the matter ... Read Full Story

Dumped Wallabies winger Lote Tuqiri may be forced to play overseas with his prohibitive price tag potentially blocking a return to Australia's National Rugby League, according to reports. Two-time World Cup player Tuqiri, 29, was sacked by the Australian Rugby Union on Wednesday, with ARU chief executive John O'Neill saying the player had received a letter two years ago warning that further contract breaches would not be tolerated. Representatives of Tuqiri have said the 67-Test veteran will fight his axing through the courts. Tuqiri appeared briefly outside his home on Thursday to talk to reporters, but did not reveal why he had been sacked. ... Read Full Story