England World Cup winner Lewis Moody has become the latest British player to be linked with a lucrative summer move across the Channel to France.

Moody, 31, has admitted that he’s considering a switch from his beloved Leicester Tigers in order to gain financial security before he retires.

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“There are big decisions to make,” he told The Times. “It’s a big decision. I love Leicester, I’ve been here since I was a boy of 14 and I’ve been playing in the first team since I was 17. It’s my home, the place I love, and it would be very difficult to leave,” he added.

“But at some point in your career you have to be selfish and say ‘You have to do what’s best for your family’. Sometimes that’s looking at options that are out there. We’ll cross that bridge when it comes,” said the England international.

There would certainly be no shortage of interest in a player of Moody’s calibre, with the usual big-spenders of Toulon, Racing-Métro 92, Stade Francais and Stade Toulousain all likely to take notice of words.

If Moody did cross the Channel he would join fellow World Cup winners Iain Balshaw, Steve Thompson and Jonny Wilkinson in France’s Top 14.

His ‘show-me-the-money’ stance also comes in the same week that Ospreys duo Mike Phillips and James Hook have been linked with possible summer moves to France. And he’s unlikely to be the last big-name star to be courted as France’s wealthy clubs again draw up plans for their cross-Channel summer raids.

Stade Francais prop David Attoub has appealed against his massive 70-week playing ban, imposed by ERC for an eye-gouging incident against Ulster’s Stephen Ferris in the Heineken Cup.

The 28-year-old – who admitted to being traumatised by the length of his suspension – is appealing against both his conviction and the sentence.

An ERC statement said an independent appeal committee would be appointed “as soon as practicable”.

The international front row still insists he did not deliberate make contact with Ferris’ eyes, but the ERC disciplinary panel felt otherwise, with president Judge Jeff Blackett describing it as “the worst act of contact with the eyes I have had to deal with”.

He further explained that the lengthy suspension was partly due to the fact that Attoub failed to plead guilty, and also because he had a previous conviction for a similar offence in 2004/5.

Biarritz have been given a welcome boost ahead of their crucial Heineken Cup clash with Glasgow Warriors, with international French lock Jérôme Thion agreeing a new three-year deal.

The 32-year-old, who joined from Perpignan in 2003, confirmed that his new contract would mean that he finishes his career with the Basques.

“I am very happy to be able to continue and finish at Biarritz,” said the 47-time capped second row. “I am going to focus on the three years that remain to me in rugby. After that a new life will begin,” he added.