WIGAN had no choice but to sell Scott Quinnell to wealthy rugby union outfit Richmond.

That is the view of Chairman Jack Robinson who said it was in the best interests of the club to accept the deal which releases Quinnell from his contract at the end of June.

Wigan are believed to have accepted around £250,000 for the former Welsh rugby union star.

Robinson said: "Richmond had been talking to Scott over the last 10 days. We agreed a satisfactory release payment from his contract which still had two years to go.

"Richmond, together with the Welsh RU, have offered him a substantial amount of money.

"We are losing a top class player but we had to make that decision. In two years time we would have lost him for nothing and not benefited from a substantial payment now. "Also the player has been offered twice as much money as we can provide and would have found it hard to motivate himself if he had stayed.

"Wigan is going through a rebuilding period. We are losing another player but have a good young prop in Neil Baines coming through and we expect Shem Tatupu to be making his mark shortly."

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