The club hoping to make Scotland ace Finn Russell rugby’s richest man
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - AUGUST 07: Finn Russell of the British & Irish Lions looks on in the warm up during the 3rd test match between the South Africa Springboks and the British & Irish Lions at Cape Town Stadium on August 07, 2021 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
GREEN Rockets Tokatsu want to buy star Scotland fly-half Finn Russell out of the last two seasons of his Racing 92 contract and make him the highestpaid player in the world.
The Green Rockets, based in Abiko, have changed their name from NEC ahead of the Top League being rebranded as Japan Rugby League One in 2022 .
They unveiled former Australia coach Michael Cheika as their director of rugby in May, and he has put Russell, 28, at the top of his shopping list for the next season.
Cheika paid special attention to the former Glasgow Warriors ace's performances for the Lions in South Africa and, after being impressed, is set to pull the trigger ona moneyspinning move. He has the spending power to make a move happen as he looks to bring in a new fly-half following Alex Goode's return to Saracens after a season at the club on loan.
They have spoken to former Northampton Saint Harry Mallinder and Curwin Bosch, who is under contract with the Sharks for another two seasons.
But Cheika is keen on Russell, who has spent the last three years playing in the French capital, where Blindside understands he currently earns around £900,000 a season.
The deal the Japanese have put on the table would easily eclipse the £1m a season that Montpellier pays Handre Pollard and that Bristol Bears splashed out to lure Charles Piutau to Ashton Gate.
BY NEIL FISSLER
