England Scrum-Half Jack van Poortvliet Extends Contract with Leicester Tigers

England and Leicester Tigers scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet has committed to a new contract with the Premiership club. Last season, Van Poortvliet’s appearances for Leicester Tigers were restricted to just seven due to injuries. The 23-year-old has accumulated 81 first-team appearances since his progression from the club’s academy in 2019. “This place means a lot to me,” Van Poortvliet stated on the club website. “Coming through the academy, the under-18s, all you want to do is play and win for the club. It’s special and I’m very happy to know my future is here at Tigers.” In 2022, Van Poortvliet participated in 19 league matches during the Tigers’ Premiership title-winning season, though he was not selected for the Grand Final team that defeated Saracens. Despite his absence from the final match, he subsequently made his senior international debut for England one month later. He has represented his country on 16 occasions, with his most recent appearances occurring in November against South Africa and Japan. An ankle injury had prevented Van Poortvliet from playing for England for over a year, leading him to miss last year’s World Cup. Tigers head coach Michael Cheika characterized the playmaker as “a quality player and a quality person.” Cheika further commented, “He knows what it means to play and win for Leicester. He is already at international level, and I believe there’s still lots of growth left in his game.” Van Poortvliet represents the fifth Tigers player to extend his contract with the club this week, joining fellow England international Ollie Hassell-Collins, Ollie Chessum, Tonga centre Solomone Kata, and Scotland prop Will Hurd.