D-Day for Wasps over out-of-contract stars

Wasps will find out today how many of their 19 out-of-contract players intend to stay at the cash-strapped club, writes Sam Peters.

New owner Steve Hayes has called the players in for a crisis meeting at their Acton training ground when he will demand they indicate their future intentions.

All the players whose contracts expire at the end of the season, including England stars Danny Cipriani and James Haskell, have been offered new terms but several are expected to defy the club's attempts to hurry them.

Other interested parties are permitted to enter into negotiations with out-of-contract players on 1 January.

Yesterday, Saracens director of rugby Eddie Jones indicated his interest in talking to the likes of Cipriani and Haskell.

He said: "If those guys haven't finalised themselves with Wasps after 1 January we will be looking to bring probably three or four players into the squad.

"If they fit into the picture of where we need players then we will have a chat to them."