Harlequins star Marcus Smith being courted by Racing 92
Racing 92 are looking to land England and Harlequins star fly-half Marcus Smith according to the latest reports from The Rugby Paper.
Smith, who is reported to make in the region of £400,000 a season at Harlequins, has one more year left on his current contract with the West London side and a move would come ahead of the 2024/25 season.
However, Smith is reported to have visited Racing’s training facility Plessis Robinson last Monday in a bid to help him make his decision.
Racing 92 are losing their star man at fly-half this summer with Scotland star Finn Russell joining Bath.
Sale Sharks set to sign X-factor full-back
Sale Sharks are expected to unveil the signing of former Leicester Tigers favourite Telusa Veainu according to The Rugby Paper.
The Premiership finalists look to have won the race to sign Tongan international Veainu who is out of contract with his current club Stade Francais at the end of the season.
Sale are in the market for a back three player to replace Byron McGuigan, who is retiring.
Veainu, now 32, spent five seasons at Welford Road before moving to Stade Francais in 2020, earning a reputation as one of the best stepping full-backs in club rugby.
Luke Cowan-Dickie could stay at Chiefs says Jack Nowell
Exeter Chiefs hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie has briefly spoken publically for the first time about why his big-money move to Montpellier broke down.
Speaking about the situation on RugbyPass’ Offload podcast this week, Cowan-Dickie said: “I went to my medical. There are some bits that are true, there are some bits that aren’t.
“I have got a bit of nerve damage and it is slowly coming back but I think they couldn’t risk me not being back for the start of the season.”
Departing Chiefs winger Jack Nowell added: "“I don’t think he is going to struggle [to find a club]. I think he will probably stay at the club [Exeter Chiefs].”
Leicester Tigers winger to join Western Force
Australian-born Leicester Tigers winger Harry Potter is set to join Super Rugby side Western Force according to the latest reports from Down Under.
The Roar report he will leave Welford Road to make a bid to be part of Eddie Jones' Wallabies squad ahead of the Rugby World Cup in September.
Potter, 25, won the Premiership with Tigers last season and can also play at outside centre.
Bath Rugby confirm Fergus Lee-Warner will depart in November
Bath Rugby can confirm Fergus Lee-Warner has signed a short-term extension with the club keeping him the West Country until November
The 29-year-old, who made a significant contribution to the Blue, Black and White in 2022/23, will remain with the club until the end of November before taking up a new opportunity back home in Australia.
Australian publication The Roar reports Lee-Warner will instead return home to join the Waratahs in 2024 to replace Taleni Seu.
Saints lock set for shock exit as international signs deal to join Super Rugby side
Impressive Northampton Saints lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto is set to leave the club to return to his native Australia according to the latest reports
Southern hemisphere publication The Roar report that the 30-cap Wallaby has agreed to terms with the Super Rugby side the Rebels.
Former Exeter Chiefs, Gloucester and Worcester backrower joins Coventry
Championship club Coventry Rugby have confirmed the signing of highly-experienced, former England international Matt Kvesic.
The 31-year-old back-rower joins Cov from Italian side Zebre Parma where he finished last season following the collapse of Worcester Warriors.
Through a glittering Premiership career with Worcester, Gloucester and Exeter Kvesic made more than 200 senior appearances and he now brings this experience to a Coventry side that finished in third place in last season’s RFU Championship.
Newcastle Falcons make 10th signing ahead of 2023/24 with London Irish back
London Irish scrum-half Hugh O’Sullivan has become Newcastle Falcons’ tenth senior signing as the club continues to build for the 2023-24 season and beyond.
The 25-year-old has signed a two-year deal to join the Falcons, who will welcome a new head coach when Alex Codling arrives next month from Oyonnax following France’s Pro D2 promotion final.
O’Sullivan joins Josh Bainbridge (Coventry), Louis Brown (Coventry), Bryan Byrne (Bristol Bears), Tim Cardall (Melbourne Rebels), Cameron Hutchison (Edinburgh), John Kelly (Doncaster Knights), Ollie Leatherbarrow (Exeter Chiefs), Murray McCallum (Edinburgh) and Kiran McDonald (ex-Munster) in joining Falcons.
A further five players have also signed for the Falcons’ senior academy, with Newcastle University lock Adam Scott joining England Under-18s quartet Finn Baker, Isaac Keller, Jacob Oliver and Ben Redshaw.
Key number eight pens new deal with Saints
Northampton Saints have confirmed that Juarno Augustus has put pen to paper on a new contract with the club.
The influential South African number eight has become a fixture in the first team at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, making 45 appearances and scoring 13 tries so far in Black, Green and Gold in the two seasons since his arrival in the summer of 2021.
England international hooker Jack Singleton re-signs with Gloucester
Three-cap England international hooker Jack Singleton has put pen to paper on a new contract to stay at Gloucester Rugby.
The Cherry and Whites’ waterfall of re-signing announcements continued last night with confirmation the 26-year-old will continue to ply his trade at Kingsholm as he battles to get back into Steve Borthwick’s England squad, and for that matter nail down a starting spot in his club side with high-quality competition from mid-season signing George McGuiganand Santi Sociono, plus the emergence of Seb Blake.
Scotland international pens new deal with Saracens
Former British and Irish Lions winger Sean Maitland has signed a new one year contract extension with Saracens despite being 34 years old.
Maitland has made 130 appearances for the club since joining in 2016, and has played a huge part in some of the best moments in Saracens’ history.
The 34-year-old started his career with the Crusaders back in New Zealand, and had spells at both Glasgow Warriors and London Irish before heading to North London.
On the international stage he has 53 caps for Scotland, including both the 2015 and the 2019 World Cups.
Impressive Argentina international pens new contract with Gloucester Rugby
Gloucester Rugby have secured the services of impressive loosehead prop Mayco Vivas ahead of the 2023/24 season.
The 17-cap international joined the Cherry and Whites on a one-season deal in the summer of 2022 but a broken arm suffered while playing in the Rugby Championship for the Pumas, just weeks after being in the squad which beat the All Blacks, saw the 6ft 1in, 122kg prop sidelined until the Spring.
Since breaking into the Gloucester side in March, making his debut at Kingston Park in the 17-12 defeat to Newcastle Falcons, and with regular starter Val Rapava-Ruskin injured until the final weekend of the season, Vivas has shone on the field making four consecutive starts to round off the campaign, showing impressive prowess in the scrum as well as an ability to compete for the ball at breakdowns and be an effective carrier.
