Tait pens Falcons deal

England back Mathew Tait has signed a new one-year contract at Newcastle Falcons, tying him to the Guinness Premiership club until 2009.

The 22-year-old, who was England's best player in last year's World Cup final, made his debut for the Falcons at 18 and has scored 23 tries in 73 starts.

Director of rugby John Fletcher said: "Mathew is among the most gifted young players in the world, and the fact that he sees his future at Newcastle Falcons is further endorsement of what we are doing here and the level of ambition currently at the club."

He added: "It is no secret that a number of other top teams were keen on signing Mathew, but he is a vital part of our jigsaw and is fully buying in to what we are doing here at the moment."

Tait, who can play at centre, wing or full-back, hit the headlines when he was named in England's starting line-up for the opening RBS 6 Nations clash against Wales in 2005.

Only Newcastle team-mate Jonny Wilkinson played for England at a younger age, but his dream debut turned into a nightmare as his lack of strength was brutally exposed by Gavin Henson and he was replaced.

He was then dropped by coach Andy Robinson but impressed in the England Sevens side and earned a recall to the full side for the World Cup in France.

Tait's performances, particularly in the final defeat by South Africa, seemed to have marked him out for a big future with the national team but he again found himself out of the 22 for this season's Six Nations opener against Wales.

However, following the Twickenham defeat, coach Brian Ashton brought him back into the squad for the wins over Italy and France.

"It is always a big decision when contracts come up for renewal, but I'm delighted to have agreed a new deal and look forward to helping the Falcons fulfil their ambitions," Tait said. "It is a great environment to be in with a focus on learning and improving every single day in training, and that was a major factor in my decision."