Premiership clubs are busy announcing a raft of deals getting over the line behind closed doors as directors of rugby around the league and abroad, look to get their squads in place ahead of the 2023/24 season.
There are also plenty of players who find themselves as free agents scrambling for contracts.
Here are all the latest transfer rumours, confirmed moves and contract renewals from around the Gallagher Premiership.
Toulouse set to beat Bristol Bears to Jack Willis
England international flanker Jack Willis will sign a new contract extension at his current club Toulouse according to the reports coming out of France.
Leading French newspaper Midi Olympique report the 26-year-old flanker Willis has reached an agreement the leadership at French Top 14 giants Toulouse to sign for an additional season with the option of a third year at the club.
Nine cap England international Willis signed for Toulouse in November after he was made redundant by Wasps after their financial collapse into administration. Due to the financial strains on professional rugby during the 2022/23 season, with Worcester Warriors also going to the wall, the RFU made an exception to their rule which made players plying their trade abroad ineligible for international selection, but only for one season.
Reports earlier this month suggested Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam, who is openly a big admirer of Willis, was looking to capitalise on Willis wanting to keep his international career alive, but he looks to have been unable to reach a deal with the turnover specialist.
Sale Sharks face battle to keep Springbok international
South African side the Lions are reported to be 'confident' in landing Springbok hooker Akker van der Merwe who is currently a key figure at Sale Sharks.
Thirty-one-year-old Van der Merwe has three caps for South African and spent three years at the Lions between 2014 and 2017 before moving to Sale in 2019.
"The ball is more in his court than ours" - Manu Tuilagi mulling over contract offer
Sale Sharks have tabled a new contract extension offer to England centre Manu Tuilagi, head coach Alex Sanderson has confirmed.
Tuilagi's contract with Sale expires at the end of the season and Sanderson has explained the club have had to leave it late in the day to offer him a new deal.
Sanderson said: "I've spoken to Manu and there is something on the table when before there was very little. The ball is more in his court than ours.
"What Manu did, because he wants to stay, is give us as long as possible. We said there was nothing for these reasons but something could happen the longer you leave it because of the changing face of the salary cap.
"We found a way but whether it's enough, we haven't had that conversation yet, so the ball is shoved towards him.
"I know Manu has offers from France and Japan but him not moving on is because of his desire to stay here, which I think is commendable."
Newcastle to part company with head coach
Dave Walder will leave his role as head coach of Newcastle Falcons at the end of the 2022-23 campaign following a reported falling out between him and the club's leadership team.
Following the departure of Dean Richards at the end of last season Walder stepped up to the top job but will now will leave the club at the end of his contracted period and will step back with immediate effect, handing the reins to Mark Laycock until a successor is officially appointed in the coming months.
Speaking on Dave’s departure, Matt Thompson, chairman of rugby, said: "Realistically we haven’t been where we want to be for a few years now and as a club we recognise the need to make changes to our approach to achieve our goals. Transitional periods like this are never easy, and unfortunately we are going to lose some people along the way.
"A lot has happened, particularly this year, both across the sport and on and off the field at the club, and we need a bit of a reset across the board.
"Our aim is to be a sustainable club that is here for years to come and in line with that it’s important that we invest in the right areas, in the right way at the right time. We want to entertain our supporters and play an exciting brand of rugby, which also means having the right players and coaching personnel in place to take us forward, and that is part of our ongoing recruitment strategy.
Gloucester lock down star winger
George Skivington heralded winger Ollie Thorley as a star example of the type of players Gloucester Rugby can and want to produce from their academy as the England international has put pen to paper on a contract extension at Kingsholm.
At 26-year-old the one-cap England international is reaching the peak years of his career, as displayed on the pitch this season since returning from shoulder surgery, and has now committed them to the Cherry and Whites in the latest high-profile re-signing
Edinburgh look to sign Sale Sharks forward
Sale Sharks face a potential raid for their Scottish international hooker Ewan Ashman according to the latest reports.
RugbyPass report Edinburgh are attempting to lure the 23-year-old north of the border, offering him a significantly bigger salary but Ashman has two years remaining on his Sharks contract.
Quins set to land Welsh international prop
Harlequins are on the verge of signing Wales international tighthead prop Dillon Lewis according to the Daily Mail.
Cardiff Rugby's Lewis had previously been heavily linked with a move to Gloucester with Exeter Chiefs also reported to be interested in the 49-cap frontrower's services.
But the Cherry and Whites have now secured new deals for tightheads Fraser Balmain and Jamal Ford-Robinson to put their pieces in place in the key position while Exeter announced the signing of Ehren Painter from Northampton Saints earlier this week, with Harry Williams moving to Montpellier.
Harlequins are in need of a tighthead prop ahead of the 2023/24 season with Wilco Louw returning to his native South Africa.
La Rochelle set to finalise terms with Exeter Chiefs star
The gulf in the financial might of Gallagher Premiership teams and the likes of their Top 14 rivals has been highlighted once again following reports La Rochelle have tabled winger Jack Nowell a contract worth £200,000 more than Exeter Chiefs were willing to offer.
Nowell, who turns 30 next month, was open to staying in Devon but is now in the final stages of completing a deal to sign for Ronan O’Gara’s French Top 14 side according to multiple sources as he joins a growing list of England internationals past and present to move across the channel.
Vunipola and Taylor set for Saracens exit
Saracens and England number eight Billy Vunipola is exploring options in Japan next year with his contract at Saracens set to expire this summer, according to the latest reports.
Meanwhile, The Rugby Paper report 33-year-old Scotland international centre Duncan Taylor is a target for French club Agen.
Steve Diamond makes Edinburgh move
Edinburgh Rugby have confirmed the appointment of former Worcester Warriors boss Steve Diamond as the United Rugby Championship club's lead rugby consultant, joining until the end of the 2022/23 season.
Diamond will join Edinburgh Rugby on Monday and will work with the existing coaching team.
Scrum-half set to sign contract extension at Exeter Chiefs
Exeter Chiefs are expected to announce a number of contract renewals for key cultural leaders within the squad in the coming weeks, including winger Olly Devoto and scrum-half Stu Townsend.
Townsend, 27, has spent the majority of the 2022/23 season sidelined with a series of injuries, the latest a shoulder issue which required surgery, but The Rugby Paper report he is set to sign a new deal to continue competing with Jack and Sam Maunder for the number nine jersey.
Townsend’s importance to the club, particularly with the likes of stalwarts like Dave Ewers, Cowan-Dickie and Nowell moving on at the end of the season, was clear to see even on Saturday when Exeter’s social media team posted a video of the celebration sing-song inside the changing rooms led by Townsend.
His value to the club extends beyond his performances on the pitch as a standards setter within training, with Baxter keen to see him add to his 87 senior appearances for the club.
Gloucester hooker to join Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers have snapped up Gloucester Rugby's promising young hooker Finn Theobald-Thomas ahead of the 2023/24 season, the East Midlands club have confirmed.
Theobald-Thomas, 19, joined the Cherry and Whites in the Autumn following the collapse of Worcester Warriors along with Seb Atkinson and Alex Hearle, and has made two appearances for Gloucester since arriving at Kingsholm, scoring a try.
The hooker has represented England at age-grade levels and was selected in the England Under-20s squad ahead of the 2023 Under-20s Six Nations where he has been a regular in the front row.
Saints prop makes Exeter Chiefs move
Rob Baxter has strengthened his Exeter Chiefs squad with immediate effect by moving up the arrival date of new tighthead prop signing Ehren Painter to land the Northampton Saints prop immediately.
The 24-year-old tighthead prop, who has played 84 times for the Saints, will arrive at Sandy Park this week to fill the void left in the Exeter frontrow ranks by the season-ending knee injury to Harry Williams.
Chiefs have today confirmed Williams will leave the club at the end of the season with a move to Montpellier expected to be confirmed shortly.
Northampton sign England international prop with immediate effect
Northampton Saints have signed England international prop Trevor Davison from Newcastle Falcons, with the 30-year-old prop arriving at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens with immediate effect.
Davison, primarily a tighthead but able to play on both sides of the scrum, has made over a century of appearances for Falcons since joining Newcastle from Blaydon RFC – with 79 of those coming in the Gallagher Premiership.
The 6’2", 122kg front rower had represented hometown club Blaydon since the age of 11, also being selected for England Counties on multiple overseas tours before making the step up into the full-time professional game.
Davison’s impressive form within Newcastle’s imposing front row earned him an England call-up in June 2021, and he made his Test debut off the bench against the USA at Twickenham the next month. He has since earned one further cap against Australia in the 2021 Autumn Nations Cup, and was included in Steve Borthwick’s wider training squad before this year’s Six Nations Championship.
Bristolian stand-off to leave the Bears
Bristol Bears' highly thought of fly-half Tom Wilstead has revealed on social media he will be leaving his hometown club at the end of the season.
The 21-year-old has struggled to make the transition from promising academy talent into the Bears first team with two international fly-halves in AJ MacGinty and Callum Sheedy shouldering the majority of the minutes at fly-half, with Ioan Lloyd also an option.
Former Leinster prop joins Falcons
Newcastle Falcons have signed Oisin Heffernan with immediate effect from Northampton Saints.
Arriving at Kingston Park until the end of the season is 28-year-old Heffernan, the English-qualified prop who hails from the west of Ireland and came through with Leinster.
Playing three times for the Irish province, Heffernan played two seasons for Ireland Under-20s and spent four years at Nottingham, making 44 appearances before moving to Northampton Saints in early 2021.
The 6 foot 1 forward has played seven times for the Franklin’s Gardens side, including a Gallagher Premiership semi-final, and has also played for Bedford Blues.
Jake Polledri to leave Gloucester for Zebre
“It’s time for my new chapter," said Jake Polledri as the Italian international confirmed he will leave Gloucester Rugby for United Rugby Championship side Zebre Parma next season.
Polledri, 27, sadly looks to have played his last game in Cherry and White having suffered a shoulder injury which requires surgery on his international return with Italy in the Six Nations against England last month.
The last three years have been a traumatic challenge both on the field and off it for the powerful backrower, taking nearly two years to return to fitness after suffering a major, career-threatening knee, leg and nerve injury while on international duty against Scotland back in 2020. Meanwhile, off the field he tragically lost his younger brother Sam to a cardiac arrest in March, 2022.
After 820 days out, the back-row forward made his playing return in September; and has featured in the Premiership Rugby Cup, on loan at neighbours Hartpury in the Championship and made one appearance in both the Heineken Champions Cup and Gallagher Premiership, but game time has been hard to come by in a highly competitive area of the Cherry and Whites squad.
Chiefs sign Georgian international prop
Exeter Chiefs have bolstered their front-row options with the signing of Georgian international Nika Abuladze, Rob Baxter has confirmed.
The 27-year-old loosehead prop will arrive at Sandy Park later this month once his commitments at international level are completed in the second tier Rugby Europe Championship.
Abuladze will become the first-ever Georgian player to feature for the Devon club, but he comes highly recommended and will offer sizeable bulk, tipping the scales at 122kg and standing at 6ft 1in.
Leicester Tigers number eight to make Connacht switch
Connacht have confirmed the signing of Irish-qualified number 8 Sean Jansen from the Leicester Tigers on a two year deal.
He qualifies for Ireland through his grandparents who were born in Monasterevin and Belfast.
Jansen, 23 is originally from Dunedin in New Zealand and joined the reigning Gallagher Premiership champions in January 2022 from the Otago Rugby Football Union. He has featured 15 times for the club, predominately at number 8 but can also play across the back row.
A powerful ball-carrier, Jansen has scored 5 tries during his spell at Leicester and has made 3 appearances so far in this season’s Heineken Champions Cup.
Having grown up in New Zealand, Jansen attended Otago Boys High and played junior rugby with North Island RFC, representing North Otago. In 2021, prior to joining the Leicester Tigers, he was named Otago’s Development Forward of the Year.
Tighthead prop the latest stalwart to commit at Kingsholm
Cherry and Whites head coach George Skivington has heralded Fraser Balmain as one of the best tighthead props in the Premiership as the club have confirmed the 31-year-old has put pen to paper on a contract extension at the club.
Balmain joined Gloucester Rugby ahead of the 2017-18 season from this weekend’s opponents Leicester Tigers and came to the club with plenty of Premiership experience under his belt and he quickly became a mainstay in the Cherry and White side.
