Toulon’s Mourad Boudjellal fires Paul Sackey – Rugby news
Toulon president, Mourad Boudjellal, in a news conference today, May 10th, confirmed the termination of Paul Sackey’s contract.
The former England winger, Paul Sackey, joined the French Top 14’s Toulon after switching from London Wasps at the end of the 2009/10 Aviva Premiership season. Sackey signed with Toulon on a two-year contract at the start of the
season. Sackey’s poor performance in the season is widely believed to be the reason for his termination. Mourad Boudjellal said, “Since he (Sackey) did not give satisfaction, we have decided to release him.”
The England winger will be released by Toulon at the end of the current season. New Zealand’s winger, David Smith, has replaced him at Toulon and will feature alongside the likes of Jonny Wilkinson and Carl Hayman next season.
31-year-old winger has made appearances for Barbarians, Bedford Blues, London Irish, London Wasps, Toulon, England union rugby teams. He made his professional rugby union career debut against the Bedford Blues in 1999 as he penned a one-year deal there.
He made 17 appearances for Blues and scored 40 points that included eight tries.
At the end of the 1999/00 season, he joined the London Irish and remained with them until the end of the 2004/05 season. He made 88 appearances for Irish and scored 150 points. All his points came through the tries.
In 2005, he switched to London Wasps, and played 80 matches for them. During his stay at Wasps, Wasps won 50 matches as Sackey bagged 150 points with all points coming from 30 tries.
His impressive performance in the domestic and European seasons had earned him a call for the England national rugby team in 2006. He made his England international debut the same year against New Zealand by replacing the injured Mark Cueto.
He has played 22 tests and has scored 55 points, with all points coming from tries. He scored four tries during the 2007 Rugby World Cup and was England’s highest try scorer in the tournament. Sackey also scored four tries in Six Nations tournaments.
Paul Sackey has made 20 appearances for Toulon in this French Top 14 season so far and only managed to score six tries.
Star studded Toulon failed to reach the play-offs of the Top 14 after they lost their last game of the season against the Montpellier 27 – 3, at Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Montpellier on Saturday.
Toulon ended the season in eighth position in the Top 14 table with 15 wins and 70 points. If they had won their last weekend encounter against Montpellier, they would be playing the semi-finals against Biarritz.
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