• Switch Edition
Follow
Aviva Premiership
Falcons trio to leave club
ESPNscrum Staff
April 27, 2011
Newcastle's Tane Tu'ipulotu is shackled by the Gloucester defence, Gloucester v Newcastle Falcons, Anglo-Welsh Cup, Franklin's Gardens, Northampton, England, March 20, 2011
Newcastle's Tane Tu'ipulotu is shackled by the Gloucester defence during the Anglo-Welsh Cup clash in March © Getty Images
Enlarge
Related Links
Players/Officials: Gcobani Bobo | Filipo Levi | Tane Tu'ipulotu
Tournaments/Tours: Aviva Premiership

Newcastle Falcons trio Gcobani Bobo, Tane Tu'ipulotu and Filipo Levi will all leave at the club at the end of the season.

Kiwi centre Tu'ipulotu has secured a move to Japan, while former South Africa international centre Bobo and Samoan lock Levi are still to confirm where their futures lie. Newcastle head coach Alan Tait indicated that the moves were part of his desire to take the club, which is still embroiled in a relegation battle with Leeds, in a new direction.

"There's no secrets, they have known for a while," Tait told BBC Newcastle. "I've looked at our type of rugby, where I want to go and brought in players I want, and I'm still looking.

They were all talked about as players we thought about keeping. This is my time as a coach, we've changed our tack a little bit, I've looked at the way I want to play the game and the way I want to structure it."

Bobo and Levi, both 31, joined the club in 2009 while 30-year-old Tu'ipulotu moved to Kingston Park the previous season.

© ESPN EMEA Ltd
Live Scores
Results
Fixtures
The Crooked Feed looks at the recent Twitter spat between Toulon's Delon Armitage and outspoken former England and Lions hooker Brian Moore

The best CVs in the rugby world?

Toulon's Heineken Cup final victory over Clermont Auvergne may have ended a long title drought for the Top 14 club but two of their players are no strangers to success

The Week in Pictures

We bring you our pick of the best pictures from around the world in the last seven days with the battle for Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup glory taking centre stage

Worcester turn to Carl Hogg?