Tournaire quits for personal reasons

Leicester, the out-going European champions, will be forced to trawl through an increasingly congested transfer market in search of new front-row forwards after confirming that Franck Tournaire, the outstanding tight-head specialist in the last World Cup, will return to his native France at the end of the week because of domestic problems. Tournaire had played 24 games since joining from Toulouse at the start of the season.

"I feel sorry for Franck, who is very upset at the situation," said Dean Richards, the director of rugby. "At the same time, it is vitally important he returns home, bearing in mind the situation. I'm disappointed he's not staying – he has great footballing skills and has demolished some of the packs he has played against. He was fitting in very well at Leicester."

With Perry Freshwater, the New Zealand-born loose-head prop, also on his way out of Welford Road – he has agreed terms with Perpignan, the Heineken Cup finalists – and the likes of Darren Garforth and Dorian West nearing the ends of their professional careers, Leicester are now contemplating a personnel problem of some urgency, especially as Graham Rowntree is likely to spend most of next season on England duty.

Meanwhile, another international prop – Tom Smith of Northampton – revealed yesterday that his latest injury, a fractured toe that will incapacitate him for the remainder of the season, was the direct result of his epilepsy. "I had a seizure in the night and somehow injured my foot," he said.

"I have a pile of letters from children suffering from epilepsy, and I always write to tell them it is not something to hide away, or something that should be stigmatised. I guess I'm putting my money where my mouth is."