Leinster lose battle to keep Contepomi

RUGBY NEWS: AS FEARED, and despite reports that they made him an attractive offer, Leinster yesterday lost their battle to keep the hugely popular and prolific Puma Felipe Contepomi, who has agreed a four-year deal with struggling French Top 14 club Toulon.

Ultimately, Leinster could not compete with an even more lucrative deal from Toulon and the player himself could not turn it down.

For a 31-year-old, it’s an extraordinary offer from the French club, but one in keeping with the approach of their owner, Mourad Boudjellal, who is considered the Roman Abramovich of French rugby.

A local boy made good and worth tens of millions, acquired from his business publishing comic-strip books, Boudjellal has bankrolled their promotion from the ProD2 and has attempted to establish RC Toulonnais as a force in the French game, with limited success despite an extraordinary purchasing spree.

Boudjellal has threatened to walk away; Tim Lane was fired for failing to gain promotion two seasons ago; the likes of George Gregan, Victor Matfield, Anton Oliver and Dan Luger came and went; former All Black Jerry Collins, ex-Springbok Joe van Niekerk and controversial Australian rugby league star Sonny Bill Williams are among this season’s high-profile signings; and Tana Umaga will return to playing full-time next year when Philippe Saint-Andre takes over.

They sometimes field only one or two French players, and Contepomi’s signing is rumoured to signal the influx of a few Argentinians.

Boudjellal has vowed to move on three years after securing a sponsor, a new stadium and developing the club’s academy.

Faced with all this, Leinster strove to keep one of the darlings of the Leinster supporters, who has spent six seasons with the province and scored 1,193 points in 111 appearances. But the odds were always against them.

“This is one of the hardest decisions that I have ever had to make in my career,” Contepomi said in a statement. “I spoke with my family about it at length, but I feel that the end of this season is the best time to make a new start. I have played some of the best years of my career with Leinster. They are the team that I have also played with the longest in my career.

“Since joining Leinster a few years ago I have seen the team grow, on and off the field, every year. I feel a strong link with Leinster because I have been blessed with an Irish-born daughter (Catalina) and with people who supported my ambition to complete my medical studies.

“The supporters will always hold a special place in my heart for the way in which that they have treated me and my family.”

Thanking the management, team-mates and supporters, Contepomi added: “We have three important months left in the season and my sole intention now is to do my best to try to help to win the Heineken Cup and retain the Magners League title for the club. It has been an incredible journey and I’d like to finish it on a high.”

Leinster coach Michael Cheika and chief executive Mick Dawson lamented the departure of the player commonly known as Phil and wished him well.

Though “he will be sadly missed” Cheika added: “His departure will inevitably provide an opportunity for another player, but Felipe still has a big role to play in the remaining months of the season.”

Meanwhile, 13 venues in New Zealand have been chosen to stage pool matches for Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2011 after the match schedule was announced in Auckland yesterday. The tournament will kick-off at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday, September 9th, when New Zealand play Tonga.

The dates for the final weekend, which coincides with Labour Day, were also confirmed, with the bronze final to take place on Friday, October 21st, also at Eden Park, with the final on Sunday, October 23rd, at the same venue.

“Our philosophy all along has been a Stadium of Four Million,” commented Rugby New Zealand 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden. “We believe today’s announcement, building on the knock-out decisions announced last year, takes us further towards the fulfillment of that promise,” said Snedden.

Ireland will have to play their four pool games in four venues, beginning with an opening match against the second Americas qualifier (possibly Eddie O’Sullivan’s USA Eagles) in Stadium Taranaki in New Plymouth, moving on six days later to the meeting with Australia in Eden Park, then face the second European qualifier in Rotorua, before transferring to the south island to face Italy in the final pool game on Sunday, October 2nd, in Carisbrook in Dunedin.

The quarter-final match-ups were also confirmed, with the top two teams in Pool A (featuring currently qualified teams New Zealand, France and Tonga) and Pool B (featuring Argentina, England and Scotland) playing off in Christchurch. Wellington will host quarter-finals featuring the winners and runners-up from Pool C (featuring Australia, Ireland and Italy) and Pool D (featuring South Africa, Wales and Fiji).

2011 World Cup schedule

Pool Matches

September 9th –New Zealand v Tonga, Auckland (Pool A).

September 10th– Scotland v qualifier, Invercargill (Pool B); Fiji v Africa 1, Rotorua (Pool D); France v Asia 1, Albany (Pool A); Argentina v England, Christchurch (Pool B).

September 11th– Australia v Italy, Christchurch (Pool C); Ireland v Americas 2, New Plymouth (Pool C); South Africa v Wales, Wellington (Pool D).

September 14th– Oceania 1 v Africa 1, Rotorua (Pool D); Tonga v Americas 1, Whangarei (Pool A); Scotland v Europe 1, Dunedin (Pool B).

September 15th– Europe 2 v Americas 2, New Plymouth (Pool C).

September 16th– New Zealand v Asia 1, Hamilton (Pool A).

September 17th– Argentina v qualifier, Invercargill (Pool B); South Africa v Fiji, Wellington (Pool D); Australia v Ireland, Auckland (Pool C).

September 18th– Wales v Oceania 1, Hamilton (Pool D); England v Europe 1, Christchurch (Pool B); France v Americas 1, Napier (Pool A).

September 20th– Italy v Europe 2, Nelson (Pool C).

September 21st– Tonga v Asia 1, Whangarei (Pool A).

September 22nd– South Africa v Africa 1, Albany (Pool D).

September 23rd– Australia v Americas 2, Wellington (Pool C).

September 24th– England v qualifier, Dunedin (Pool B); New Zealand v France, Auckland (Pool A).

September 25th– Fiji v Oceania 1, Auckland (Pool D); Ireland v Europe 2, Rotorua (Pool C); Argentina v Scotland, Christchurch (Pool B).

September 26th– Wales v Africa 1, New Plymouth (Pool D).

September 27th– Americas 1 v Asia 1, Napier (Pool A); Italy v Americas 2, Nelson (Pool C).

September 28th– Europe 1 v qualifier, Palmerston North (Pool B).

September 30th– South Africa v Oceania 1, Albany (Pool D).

October 1st– Australia v Europe 2, Christchurch (Pool C); France v Tonga, Wellington (Pool A); England v Scotland, Auckland (Pool B).

October 2nd– Argentina v Europe 1, Palmerston North (Pool B); New Zealand v Americas 1, Wellington (Pool A); Wales v Fiji, Hamilton (Pool D); Ireland v Italy, Dunedin (Pool C).

Quarter-finals: October 8th– Winner Pool C v runner-up Pool D, Wellington; Winner Pool B v runner-up Pool A, Christchurch. October 9th – Winner Pool D v runner-up Pool C, Wellington; Winner Pool A v runner-up Pool B, Christchurch.

Semi-finals: October 15th– Winner quarter-final 1 v winner quarter-final 2, Auckland. October 16th – Winner quarter-final 3 v winner quarter-final 4, Auckland.

Third-place play-off: October 21st– Loser semi-final 1 v loser semi-final 2, Auckland.

Final: October 22nd– Winner semi-final 1 v Winner semi-final 2, Auckland.