English Premiership rugby union side Leicester Tigers has made a major roster announcement this week, confirming that experienced Australian international fly-half James O’Connor and fellow Wallabies back Izaia Perese will leave the club when the current 2025-26 season concludes.
O’Connor, 35, returned to top-flight English rugby for his third stint in the league when he joined the Tigers last September, moving to the Welford Road-based side from New Zealand’s legendary Super Rugby franchise the Crusaders. Since his arrival, the veteran playmaker has featured in 10 matches across all competitions. His only try for the club to date came in the side’s dominant 66-14 Premiership Rugby Cup final victory over Exeter Chiefs last month, and he has added 18 points from the kicking tee across his six Premiership outings.
Reflecting on his tenure with Leicester, O’Connor described his time at the club as an overwhelmingly positive experience. “This has been an awesome experience for me, and right now I’m keeping my focus firmly on the business end of this season, we still have important work to do before the campaign wraps up,” he said.
Leicester interim head coach Geoff Parling paid tribute to O’Connor’s impact on the squad, highlighting the veteran’s intangible leadership qualities that have strengthened the team’s backline group. “James has been brilliant during his time with us, bringing a wealth of experience and a calming presence that has really benefited our younger backs,” Parling said. “He will continue to contribute massively as we push through the final stretch of the season, and his ideas and diligence in everything he does have been a real asset to our program.”
For 28-year-old center Perese, the departure comes 18 months after he joined the club from Australia’s Super Rugby side the New South Wales Waratahs ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, having signed a multi-year contract upon his arrival. Perese has been a consistent scoring threat during his time at Leicester, crossing for 11 tries in 28 total appearances for the side. This season alone, he has notched five tries, three of which came in Premiership play.
Like O’Connor, Perese stressed that he remains fully committed to helping the club achieve its remaining goals this season, before his exit. “I’ll miss this group of lads, and I’m really proud to have been able to call myself a Leicester Tigers player,” Perese said. “There’s still a job to be done though, and I’m fully committed to giving everything I have for what’s ahead. I’d also like to say a big thank you to all my coaches and the club’s support staff for everything they’ve done to help me develop during my time here.”
Both players are set to feature for the Tigers in the remaining weeks of the current domestic season as the side competes for silverware and league position.