Pied Piper Inga was worth his weight

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Wigan Warriors

11 May 1996: Va''aiga Tuigamala (right) of Wigan is tackled by the opposition during the Save and Prosper Middlesex Sevens tournament match between Wigan and Wasps in Twickenham, England. Wigan won the final 38-15. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Redington/Allsport

PETER JACKSON

AN icy wind blew in off the Tyne the day Sir John Hall interrupted a Spanish holiday to preside over a rugby signing like no other – Va’aiga Tuigamala from Wigan Warriors to Newcastle Falcons.
“I’m not too sure how much this is going to cost,’’ a smiling Hall said. “But I understand it’s a world record.’’
With a nudge from the chairman and a wink from Wigan the deal added up to £2m – a £750,000 transfer fee, the rest over a five-year contract worth £250,000-a-year. For Rugby Union, the world record still stands almost a quarter of a century later.
Tuigamala’s new team of ...

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