Leicester Tigers have confirmed that Nicky Smith will leave the Midlands club at the end of the season after arriving on a two-year deal in 2024.
The loosehead prop has been a popular and respected member of the playing group since arriving from Ospreys, but has decided his future lies elsewhere after finding a deal more suitable for his longer-term playing prospects.
The Wales international has made 32 appearances in the green of Leicester and has scored two tries. The club did offer Smith an extended contract, but at 31 years old, he’s elected to choose a contract that can guarantee him longer-term stability.
Leicester Tigers head coach Geoff Parling reflected on the exit of his man, saying: “Nicky is firstly a great player, and secondly a great character to have in the changing room. With this in mind, we would have loved to have kept him for the next couple of years, but he has decided to take up a longer-term offer elsewhere.
“We know how committed he is right now, and we’ll continue to look forward to big performances from him for the rest of the season.
“We will reveal another group of retained players this week and are having advanced negotiations with targeted recruits, which we will announce when things are finalised.”
RugbyPass recently reported that the likely destination for Smith will be Sale Sharks, who are also reportedly interested in the Saracens duo of Elliot Daly and Alex Lozowski.
Nicky Smith bio
The front-rower was born in Swansea, where he played his amateur rugby with his home club before representing Aberavon. He debuted for Ospreys in 2012, making 200 appearances before leaving the URC side in the summer to join Tigers.
After two years in the Wales U20 squad, his senior Test debut came in 2014 against Fiji, and he most recently turned out for Wales in their Autumn Nations Series victory over Japan in November.
Since debuting for the national side, Smith has gone on to achieve 59 caps to date and scored three tries.