Thursday 30 June 2016 15:32, UK
Wasps have confirmed Italian international prop Lorenzo Cittadini is leaving the club to join Bayonne for next season.
Cittadini had fallen down the pecking order at the Ricoh Arena due to the emergence of Jake Cooper-Woolley and the arrival of Ireland international Marty Moore from Leinster. Phil Swainston also offers another viable option at the position.
Wasps agreed to release the 33-year-old tighthead a year early from his contract to enable him to join Bayonne, where he hopes to enjoy more game-time.
Wasps' director of rugby Dai Young said: "Citta has been outstanding for Wasps during his two seasons with us. He's a fantastic character to have around the training base and we have loved having him here.
"Because he's such a good guy and been so good for Wasps, we didn't want to stand in his way when he had the opportunity to secure a longer-term deal elsewhere, where he is likely to get more game time.
"We appreciate it is a better option for him and his family and we wish him the very best for the future."
Cittadini, who arrived at Wasps from Benetton Treviso in the summer of 2014, admitted the decision to leave was a difficult one but feels he cannot afford to sit on the bench at this advanced stage of his career.
He said: "It was a very difficult decision to take. I feel very sad about leaving the club, but I want to look at this move as a very good opportunity in the last few years of my career. It is an exciting step and challenge in my rugby career and it is also a good opportunity for me and my wife as a family."
