Toronto seek to tempt England union duo

Toronto have reportedly spoken to England rugby union pair Manu Tuilagi and Ben Te’o about switching codes to the Super League new boys. The Wolfpack are eager to establish themselves as one of the dominant forces in rugby league and are reportedly set to sign New Zealand World Cup-winning centre Sonny Bill Williams on a two-deal worth an estimated £5million. Not content with adding one star name to their squad, the Canadian franchise are now being linked with an audacious bid to bring over Tuilagi and Te’o from rugby union. The Telegraph are reporting Toronto have already held talks with both men’s representatives to discuss the possibility of them defecting to the 13-a-side code. Tuilagi recently starred for England in their run to the Rugby World Cup final and is viewed by Toronto as being a player who can help elevate the Wolfpack’s brand. The 28-year-old has previously turned down lucrative offers from abroad, rejecting the chance to join French side Racing 92 this year before signing a contract extension with his English Premiership team Leicester until 2021. Were Toronto to pursue a move for the Samoa-born centre, it would likely cost them a sizeable sum to buy him out of the remainder of his Tigers contract. Meanwhile, Te’o recently signed a short-term agreement with French side Toulon, which is due to expire at the end of this month. The New Zealand-born 32-year-old has previously won 18 caps for England and was part of their training squad ahead of the World Cup before an off-field altercation resulted in him being left out of the final party that went to Japan. Unlike Tuilagi, Te’o has experience of playing professional rugby league, having represented Wests Tigers, Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters before switching codes. Whether either man is interested in moving to Toronto isn’t clear at this point but the Super League newcomers look set to make more headlines during the off-season with their additions to the squad either way.