Biggs & Vickerman leave Carnegie

Vickerman (left) and Biggs have played for England Sevens this season

England Sevens internationals Tom Biggs and Rob Vickerman have left Leeds Carnegie after failing to agree new deals with the National One champions.

The duo are part of eight players to leave the club ahead of next season's Guinness Premiership campaign.

"Both Tom and Rob have done extremely well with the England Sevens and we wish them well going forward," said head coach Neil Back.

Eight other players have signed new deals including captain Mike MacDonald.

Because of their late appointment last summer, director of rugby Andy Key and head coach Back made just three signings during their National One campaign.

After guiding Leeds back to the Premiership in their first season in charge the former Leicester duo are now keen to build a squad good enough to compete in the top-flight.

The other players to exit Headingley are former Scotland international back-row Jon Dunbar, fly-half Alberto Di Bernardo, prop Adam Hopcroft, fly-half James Brooks and youngsters Chris Steel and Andy Boyde.

Our goal is develop Leeds Carnegie from good to great over the coming years and the infrastructure is in place to certainly do that

Head coach Neil Back

Back added: "All the players have been great servants to the Leeds club over the past few years but unfortunately in modern professional rugby tough decisions have to be made.

"We will say a fond farewell to all eight players and they will always be welcome back at the club in the future.

"Our goal is develop Leeds Carnegie from good to great over the coming years and the infrastructure is in place to certainly do that thanks to the support of Leeds Metropolitan University."

Skipper MacDonald has committed himself to another two years in West Yorkshire, as have number eight Rhys Oakley and full-back Leigh Hinton.

England Saxons second-row Kearnan Myall has also agreed a new two-year deal despite the fact that his current contract does not expire until the end of next season.

Full-back or wing Jon Goodridge, hooker Rob Rawlinson and winger Lee Blackett have gained one-year extensions.

Argentine prop Juan Gomez has penned a one-year deal after initially moving to Leeds in November on loan from Irish province Leinster.

Key said: "We are delighted to have offered so many of the championship-winning squad new deals, which they certainly deserve.

"Whilst we achieved our main objective of gaining promotion, there has also been a lot of hard work gone on behind the scenes to change the culture of our approach to performance under our performance director Steve Nance.

"We are confident that the players that have embraced that will reap the rewards next season.

"We are hoping to learn the lessons from last season and we will be looking to add quality to this group of players."