Rugby-England prop Brookes commits to Wasps with contract extension

England prop Kieran Brookes has "pledged his future" to club side Wasps after signing a contract extension on Wednesday, the Premiership team announced. Brookes joined Wasps from Northampton Saints last year and the versatile 28-year-old made 14 appearances this season before suffering an ankle injury.

Wasps did not reveal the length of Brookes' new deal but director of rugby Dai Young suggested the England international would play a role in guiding the team's younger players. "We're really pleased Brookesy has pledged his future to the club," Young said in a statement https://www.wasps.co.uk/news/england-tighthead-kieran-brookes-signs-new-wasps-deal.

"He's a top-class prop who has a wealth of Premiership and international experience and having a player of his stature commit to the club is great news for all involved. "We've got fantastic options in the tighthead area next season, with the experience of Brookesy and Jeff Toomaga-Allen, while we've got three up-and-coming players who will really benefit from working alongside these talented individuals."

Brookes, who has 16 England caps and was part of their Six Nations Grand Slam-winning team in 2016, said he was looking forward to an injury-free spell to help the club climb up the table. Wasps are eighth in the standings with 37 points from 16 matches.

"It's been frustrating with injuries for me but I can't wait to get back on the field and help us try and push on back up the Premiership table to compete with the best," Brookes said. (Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru Editing by Christian Radnedge)