Horacio Agulla looks set to leave the Tigers at the end of the season © Getty Images

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News: Cockerill hits out at Twelvetrees

Leicester Tigers boss Richard Cockerill has confirmed that they will not be offering a new contract to Argentinean winger Horacio Agulla.

The 27-year-old's contract expires at the end of the season and the newly formed Rugby Championship has had an impact on his prospects at Welford Road. The expanded Tri-Nations- which incorporates the Pumas - runs until October 6 which means that players turning out the tournament will miss pre-season and the start of the 2012-13 season.

Agulla looks likely to be included in the Argentina squad for the tournament after turning out five times for them in the recent World Cup and Cockerill admits it was a tough decision not to offer the 34-cap winger a new deal.

"He's a bit disappointed, as we are a little bit, but you have to make tough choices," Cockerill told BBC Radio Leicester. "Unfortunately for him that's the case and that may be the case for lots of the Argentine players because you will never have them for the pre-season.

"They only turn up half way through the season to play for you and that will be a difficult one for lots of people."

Agulla may not be the only winger leaving Welford Road at the end of the season. Alesana Tuilagi is reportedly on the verge of agreeing a switch to Japan with Worcester flyer Miles Benjamin and London Irish's Adam Thompstone both rumoured to be in the Tigers' sights as replacements.

But while one Puma is facing the exit door at Welford Road, Cockerill claims that Marcos Ayerza will stay at the Tigers. The Tigers boss claims that 'world-class props' are harder to come by than wingers.

"We have chosen to keep Marcos because world-class props are hard to come across," Cockerill told the Leicester Mercury. "In the wing position, there are people who will do just as good a job for us as Horacio has done and that is no disrespect to him, because he has been really good for us.

"We just have to manage the squad carefully. We will have six or seven players away with England and Martin Castrogiovanni will be away too.

"That's seven or eight already, plus the other guys that will come through. We have to be very careful."