By Chris Wearmouth 
Coventry Rugby has today announced that the club has come to an agreement with Clermont Auvergne for the release of Rory Jennings to join the Top 14 outfit.
Jennings was one of the leading performers in the Greene King IPA Championship last season, well in the chase for the Golden Boot award when the campaign was prematurely halted, and his 144 overall points topping the club’s own scoring charts.
In all the 24-year-old made 15 appearances in blue and white, having joined from London Scottish in the summer of 2019.
His performances for Cov saw Jennings be loaned to Leicester for the final weeks of the 2019/20 Premiership season and come onto the radar of one of Europe’s most well-known clubs, who Jennings will join with immediate effect.
“On a personal level I am very happy for Rory,” commented Director of Rugby Rowland Winter. “We gave him the opportunity to have some settled time at fly half playing consistent first team rugby, which he had not had before, and his performances improved during the course of the season.
“From a club perspective we’re sorry to see him go as he has been one of our senior players. But it is also pleasing to see that playing well for Coventry means that you can catch the eye of some of the top clubs in Europe, not just England, and that can bode well for the future as younger players look for somewhere to develop their career.
“We wish Rory well in the next chapter of his career at Stade Marcel Michelin, and he will always be welcome back here at Butts Park Arena.”
Jennings is looking forward to taking on the challenge in front of him at Clermont Auvergne.
“It’s an exciting move for me and one which I am looking forward to,” he said. “Clermont is one of the biggest clubs in Europe and it is going to be a massive challenge to live up to their expectations. But it is something which I am relishing, as is the prospect of playing at Stade Marcel Michelin.
“I will always be grateful to Rowland and the coaches at Coventry for giving me the opportunity to play week in, week out, in a talented team. I have thoroughly enjoyed my year at Butts Park Arena, which will always have a place in my heart. A massive thanks to the players and staff, to the supporters who made me feel very welcome in the West Midlands, and to Jon Sharp for his continuous support.”
