Courtney Lawes To Return To Prem At End Of Season After Two Years At Brive

The erstwhile England skipper Courtney Lawes is returning to nan Prem astatine nan extremity of nan play aft 2 years astatine French nine Brive.

The 37-year-old retired from world rugby aft nan 2023 Rugby World Cup and made nan move to France aft winning nan 2023-24 Premiership title pinch Northampton Saints.

It has not yet been confirmed which English nine he will motion for, but his return would make him eligible again for world duty. Brive person said nan nine wished nan flanker would decorativeness retired his profession pinch them but “understands Lawes’ desire to prehend a caller challenge”.

Brive’s president, Thierry Blandinières, said: “We are very proud to opportunity that Courtney Lawes will person been a Brive subordinate for 2 seasons. He arrived present pinch humility and ambition and has shown nan afloat grade of his talent since his first time successful Brive. He gave everything for nan nine and he will proceed to springiness everything until nan extremity of his escapade successful achromatic and white.”

In a connection nan nine added: “[We] are very proud to person had wrong [our] ranks 1 of nan legends of world rugby and 1 of nan champion back-row forwards of his generation.”

Lawes spent 17 years astatine Saints, winning 2 Premiership titles and 2 Challenge Cup trophies. He won 105 caps and 3 Six Nations titles for England. Lawes besides represented his state successful 4 Rugby World Cups, finishing runners up successful nan 2019 tourney and 3rd successful 2023.

Lawes said: “I’m having an acquisition successful Brive that I’ll ne'er forget, some connected and disconnected nan pitch. I’m going to springiness it my each until nan extremity of nan play to decorativeness this escapade pinch CAB [Club Athlétique Brive] successful nan champion imaginable way. My family and I person been very warmly welcomed successful Corrèze and we will ever person Brive astatine heart.”