COVENTRY Rugby have retained the services of key trio Pat Pellegrini, Matt Kvesic and James Tyas for next season.
Cov have secured back-to-back top-three finishes over the last couple of seasons and hope to be title contenders in 2024/25.
And Cov head coach Alex Rae could not hide his delight after securing Tongan World Cup Pellegrini, former England flanker Kvesic and experienced lock Tyas for another season.
Rae said: “It’s great to have Pat on board again. There’s not many fly halves who play the way he does. He’s played a huge part in the way we want to attack and entertain people.
“His work ethic and desire to become even better is really impressive and on top of all that he cares deeply and is a fantastic person.
“We also feel very lucky to have a player and person of Matt’s calibre.
“The way he conducts himself day to day is a great example to our younger players of what a true professional looks like and his performances have been really consistent this season.
“Since James arrived he’s been one of the most consistent performers who every week gives everything he’s got and sets a brilliant example.
“He’s obsessed with getting better every day and is exactly the kind of person we want to be working with and is very much someone for younger players to look up to.”
Pellegrini’s 2023/24 Coventry campaign began slightly late due to his call-up by Tonga for a World Cup campaign in which he scored a memorable try against double World Champions South Africa.
Since returning to Butts Park Arena, the fly-half has continued to produce the form that earned him international honours, finishing the Championship campaign as the league’s top points scorer.
Kvesic joined the blue-and-whites a year ago and has since gone on to be one of the Championship’s most consistent performers.
Operating in all three back-row positions, the 32-year-old has started 22 of his club’s 25 competitive games this season.
Experienced second-row forward Tyas, has signed a new contract that extends his stay at the Butts Park Arena into a fourth year.
Tyas started 22 games this season while all 61 of his Coventry appearances to date have been as part of the run-on line-up.
He is also in charge of the club’s analysis team via his company Pro View and is responsible for running Cov’s lineout.
Tyas said: “I’m already really excited about the future.
“We have made progress every year and after talking to Alex (Rae) and Nick (Johnston) their plans for next year are something I really want to be involved with.
“Working with our coaching group has taken my game to another level – I feel challenged and pushed by them to keep improving.
“I believe I have a few more good years in me and want to spend them seeing just how far we can go as a club.”
