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Japan bid for Tuilagi

Thursday 5 January 2012 09:10, UK

Image: Alesana Tuilagi: Could swap the Tigers for Japan

Leicester Tigers boss Richard Cockerill admits he faces a fight to keep hold of star winger Alesana Tuilagi.

Leicester could lose Samoa winger at the end of the season

Leicester Tigers boss Richard Cockerill admits he faces a fight to keep hold of star winger Alesana Tuilagi. The Samoa international is out of contract at Welford Road at the end of the season - but although the Tigers are keen to retain Tuilagi, they face stiff competition from overseas. And the 30-year-old could be tempted to follow the likes of James Haskell and Dave Walder in swapping the Premiership for Japan. Cockerill told the Leicester Mercury: "The Japanese are very interested in a player who is one of the most high-profile in the world. "Alesana is 30 and it is probably going to be his last contract. "It is of interest to him, and the numbers they talk about would be impossible for us to compete with. "We'll obviously try and keep him but the money the Japanese talk about is in a different sphere to us."

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