The England wing Paul Sackey will leave Wasps at the end of the season, after eight years with the club, and join the exodus to France. Although the 30-year-old has not revealed his destination, Toulon, Jonny Wilkinson's club, have been tracking him.

Sackey becomes the fourth Wasp to leave for France in the last year, following Riki Flutey, James Haskell and Tom Palmer. It could be five with Danny Cipriani, a close friend of Sackey, being courted by Stade Français, Perpignan and Biarritz.

Cipriani had talks with Wasps today about a new contract. Nothing was resolved but club officials are becoming resigned to losing the ­22-year-old England fly-half, who has spoken to the new Super 15 franchise, Melbourne Rebels. Having lost his place in the England squad, Cipriani is considering whether to make a fresh start.

"There has been intense media speculation over contract negotiations but as a club we are focused on re-signings and new recruitment," said the Wasps director of rugby, Tony Hanks. "Paul leaving the club is a disappointment. He received offers from France that we could not compete with. It is hard to argue with his decision when you consider his career ambition to play for only two or three more seasons. He is securing his financial future."

French clubs will have a salary cap for the first time next season, £7m compared with £4m in the Guinness Premiership. Toulon want to sign the Leicester and England second-row Ben Kay; Bayonne are interested in the England captain, Steve Borthwick, although they have to avoid relegation first; while the Leeds lock Erik Lund is set to join his brother, Magnus, at Biarritz.

Leicester have shaken up their back-room operations. The club's chief ­executive, Peter Wheeler, becomes rugby director. He will ­represent the club on rugby bodies, advise the head coach, Richard Cockerill, and develop relationships with sponsors and corporate partners.