Bidding war for Manu Tuilagi tops $1M

The Samoan born player is at the centre of a tug of war that is set to see him become English club rugby's richest player at $1.15 million a season.

English coach Stuart Lancaster's hard-line disciplinary attitude in the leadup to the tournament saw Tuilagi dropped from the World Cup squad after he was convicted of assaulting two female police officers and damaging a taxi.

Now the recent hike in the salary cap by $2.13m is set to earn the 24-year-old Samoan a fortune as a bidding war for his services escalates.

Last month Saracens offered Tuilagi a $920,000 deal, yet Tuilagi's club Leicester have raised the stakes beyond the million dollar mark as they look to keep him for next season.

Tuilagi, who is both midfielder and winger, has played 25 tests for England since 2011 and was part of the British & Irish Lions triumph in Australia in 2013.