ARU terminate Tuqiri's contract
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:26
Cheers: Wallaby wing Lote Tuqiri
The Australian Rugby Union has terminated the employment contract of banished Wallabies wing Lote Tuqiri with immediate effect, which has raised questions about his international future at the age of 29.
In a brief statement, the ARU stated that the issue is being treated as a "standard employment matter" and they will not make any further comment as it may be the subject of legal proceedings.
However, Sydney's Daily Telegraph said the high-earning Tuqiri, who scored 30 tries in 67 Tests, had been axed after an investigation into an "off-field incident."
"The ARU had been conducting an investigation into a possible breach of the players' code of conduct, but the circumstances of Tuqiri's sacking remained unclear tonight," the newspaper's web edition said.
He appears well down the pecking order, with Lachie Turner, Drew Mitchell and Peter Hynes all selected this season ahead of him.
Tuqiri, 29, scored just two tries in this year's Super 14 series as part of the Waratahs' misfiring back line.
He earlier laughed off suggestions he was planning to return to his former sport of rugby league after apparently falling out of favour with Australia coach Robbie Deans.
"Believe me when I say my future remains firmly in rugby union," Tuqiri wrote in a newspaper column.
"I've had journalists ringing me over the past couple of weeks asking if I'm ready to chuck in the towel and go back to league.
"It's not an option. It's laughable... I'm happy in rugby, I'm signed until 2011 and I'm focused on putting my best foot forward for the NSW Waratahs and the Wallabies."
The Australian newspaper reported earlier that Tuqiri had been issued with a "final warning letter" after a late-night drinking session with his Australia team-mates in 2007.
The 67-Test veteran paid the price for a spell of lacklustre form with the Waratahs in this year's Super 14 but Australia coach, Robbie Deans said that he will consider Tuqiri for the Wallabies side for the upcoming Tri-Nations series but he refused to guarantee Tuqiri any Test time soon.
Deans will announce his Tri-Nations squad on Thursday and if Tuqiri fails to make the squad he will find it very difficult to get back into the Wallabies mix, for the forseeable future.
AFP
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