Jimmy Gopperth: Leicester Tigers release fly-half and six other first-team players
- Published
Veteran fly-half Jimmy Gopperth has only been with Leicester Tigers for one season
Fly-half Jimmy Gopperth will leave Leicester at the end of the season.
The 39-year-old New Zealander is the oldest player in the Premiership and would have been only the second to play beyond his 40th birthday if he remained at Tigers next season.
Gopperth, who is the fourth highest scorer in the competition's history, made 13 league appearances for Tigers after joining from Wasps last summer.
Callum Green is also among the seven first-team players set to leave Tigers.
The 32-year-old lock is one of only two players on the list to have featured in last season's Premiership final win against Saracens, having started in the decider at Twickenham.
Former England winger and all-time leading Premiership try scorer Chris Ashton, who had already announced his intention to retire, also had his summer departure confirmed in a statement listing ins and outs, external for the 2023-24 season.
Connacht-bound back-rower Sean Jansen, 23, Fiji winger Kini Murimurivalu, 33, Tonga winger Hosea Saumaki, 30, and 27-year-old lock Eli Snyman, who is returning to Benetton next season, are the others to leave.
Gopperth, who collected Premiership Player of the Year and Golden Boot awards during his seven years at Wasps, is the highest profile of the exits that was not already announced.
Earlier this year the veteran playmaker and keen surfer spoke about not having any immediate plans to retire, saying his longevity is "like a challenge".
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