The kick-off of the Gallagher Premiership season is now less than a month away and directors of rugby around the league are moving quickly to put the final touches on their squads.
Here is a look at all the latest transfer rumours and confirmed moves from around the league.
Cherry and Whites set to agree contract extension with international forward
Gloucester Rugby are set for a second big contract boost ahead of the new season according to the latest reports.
England international hooker Jack Singleton is on the verge of signing a new extended deal at Kingsholm according to the The Rugby Paper.
Singleton, 26, initially joined the Cherry and Whites for the 2020-21 campaign on-loan from Saracens during their season in the Championship following relegation due to their points deduction for breaking salary cap rules, however the frontrower also played a key part in the restarted 2019-20 campaign under then new head coach George Skivington.
In December of 2020 Gloucester announced Singleton’s move to the club would become permanent and he has gone from strength to strength under Skivington’s guidance since, at the heart of the Cherry and White’s fearsome set piece mauling game.
The Rugby Paper report the club are close to reaching an agreement with Singleton and want to get the deal over the line before the start of the new season in less than a month’s time.
England superstar Tuilagi edging towards Japan move
Sale Sharks look set to loose another marquee star to the Japanese league according to the latest reports.
Star England centre Manu Tuilagi is in discussion about leaving Sale for a team in the Japanese League One following the 2023 Rugby World Cup reports The Rugby Paper.
Injury prone Tuilagi, 31, has turned down a number of lucrative offers in the past to stay in the Gallagher Premiership and keep his England career alive but he is reported to be keen on one final big payday overseas before hanging up his boots.
The Sharks saw Springbok scrum half Faf de Klerk leave the club for Japan this summer and are now set to open talks with his heir apparent at the AJ Bell Stadium, Raffi Quirke who is returning to full fitness following an operation on his hamstring.
Exeter Chiefs sign 71-cap international prop
Exeter Chiefs have confirmed the signing of highly experienced Australian international Scott Sio.
The 30-year-old loosehead is Rob Baxter’s sixth addition to the Exeter squad ahead of the 2022/23 season, joining the club on a long-term deal from Super Rugby side, the Brumbies.
Sio becomes the latest high profile Australian to join Chiefs, following the likes of Greg Holmes, Dave Dennis, Dean Mumm and Nic White in making the move to Sandy Park and Devon.
Sio will provide further quality in depth at loosehead at Exeter, competing for the number one jersey with England internationals Alec Hepburn and Ben Moon.
Newcastle Falcons bid to keep England international
England number eight Callum Chick is reported to be on the verge of agreeing a new deal to extend his stay at his home town club Newcastle Falcons, according to the latest reports.
Chick, 25, is seen as the first piece of the puzzle for the Falcons coaching team who are also set to open negotiations with stars Adam Radwan and Jamie Blamire in the coming months according to The Rugby Paper.
Tigers confirm trio of signings
Leicester Tigers have confirmed three new additions to the senior squad.
Hookers Tom Horton and Joe Taufete'e, along with outside back Lachlan Shelley have joined the Premiership club ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Horton, who joins on a short-term contract, makes the move to the United Kingdom from Australia where he has represented Shute Shield club Sydney University and the NSW Waratahs in Super Rugby.
Shelley, who is English qualified, arrives in the East Midlands from Shute Shield club Eastwood and was a member of the NSW Waratahs Academy.
Taufete'e, a USA international, returns to Premiership Rugby having previously represented Worcester Warriors and since featured for French club Lyon and American club LA Giltinis.
Harlequins snap up former lock
Harlequins have re-signed Charlie Matthews ahead of the new season despite the second row spending time on trial at Exeter Chiefs this summer.
Experienced lock Matthews, 31, returns to Twickenham having first emerged in the Gallagher Premiership as a Harlequins Academy graduate.
The second row amassed 163 appearances in the Famous Quarters between 2009 and 2018, earning 109 starts before moving to Premiership rivals Wasps ahead of the 2018/19 season and subsequently spending two years in Japan with the Kamaishi Seawaves.
Having also played in the Champions Cup on 27 occasions for Quins and Wasps, Matthews provides further depth to the squad’s second row options this season.
The 6ft7’ forward has won England Saxons honours after also representing his country at age-group level.
Former Gloucester Rugby and Bristol Bears back joins Sale
Sale Sharks have signed versatile full-back Jason Woodward on a one-year deal ahead of the 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership season.
The former Bristol Bears and Gloucester man, who can also play on the wing and in the centre, put pen to paper today and will join Alex Sanderson’s squad ahead of their opening pre-season clash against Caldy RFC on August 19.
Jason signed for Bristol from Super Rugby side the Hurricanes in 2016, before joining Gloucester the following year after Bristol’s relegation from the Premiership. He went on to make made 67 appearances and score 90 points for the Cherry and Whites.
The 32-year-old represented New Zealand at U20 level but qualifies for England through his grandmother and was called into a training camp by Eddie Jones in 2017.
Leicester Tigers confirm double impending midseason departure
Leicester Tigers have confirmed that Nemani Nadolo and Bryce Hegarty will leave the club midway through the 2022/23 season to join Australian Super Rugby sides.
Hegarty, 29 has made 15 appearances for Leicester Tigers since his debut in October 2021 and scored 63 points, playing at fly-half and full-back and will join Western Force ahead of their 2023 campaign.
Giant Fijian winger Nadolo will join the NSW Waratahs.
The 34-year-old has made 37 appearances for Leicester Tigers since his debut in August 2020 and scored 16 tries, including 10 tries to sit atop the club's try-scorers list during the Gallagher Premiership winning 2021/22 season.
Bath Rugby sign pair of locks
Bath Rugby have confirmed the signing of a pair of locks in the last two weeks, bringing in men on two different ends of the experience spectrum.
Ireland international Quinn Roux has arrived as injury cover for Charlie Ewels’ after the Bath skipper suffered a knee injury on international duty with England this summer while 6ft 7 lock Michael Etete has been added to the books after a successful trial.
Duel code international signs for Chiefs
Exeter Chiefs have bolstered their attacking options ahead of the new 2022/23 season with the addition of Tongan international Solomone Kata.
The 27-year-old is Rob Baxter’s fifth new signing of the summer, following Leinster duo Jack Dunne and Rory O’Loughlin and South Africans Aidon Davis and Ruben Van Heerden to Sandy Park.
Initially signed on a one-year deal, the powerful back arrives in Devon from Super Rugby franchise, Moana Pasifika, and immediately offers a huge physical threat to the Chiefs back division.
Born in Neiafu in Tonga, Kata moved to New Zealand in 2011 to take up a rugby scholarship at Sacred Heart College in Auckland. And it didn’t take long for his talents to be spotted, linking up with National Rugby League sides, New Zealand Warriors and then Melbourne Storm, before switching to the 15-man game.
That move took him across Australia to Canberra, where he spent two seasons with the Brumbies, teaming up with former Chief, Nic White, before moving to the Moana Pasifika for this season’s Super Rugby competition.
Wasps legend returns in coaching role
Ashley Johnson has returned to Wasps two years after his departure as a player.
The South African clocked up 198 appearances for the Black and Golds before leaving during the Covid-enforced break of the 2019/20 season.
He has since developed his coaching in a dual playing role at Birmingham Moseley as well as with Nuneaton Old Edwardians alongside Jimmy Gopperth.
Johnson will take up the position of Senior Academy Forwards Transition coach following Richard Beck's decision to step down due to personal reasons.
“To have one of the best signings in our history back at the club is great news," said Wasps head coach Lee Blacket. "During his time as a player, he was a key member of the squad and his energy around the training ground was infectious.
“He understands what it means to be a Wasp, which is a huge advantage for an Academy Coach who is developing players to join the senior squad.
Cherry and Whites re-sign Italian star
Gloucester Rugby is thrilled to announce that Jake Polledri is back.
After nearly two years on the side lines following a serious injury sustained playing for Italy, Polledri has signed a new contract with the Cherry and Whites ahead of the start of the 2022-23 season.
The powerful backrower has worked tirelessly with the Gloucester Rugby medical team to get back to full fitness following his knee injury.
The news comes as a huge boost to George Skivington and his squad, and will no doubt be equally well received by Gloucester fans who have been eager to see Jake on the Kingsholm pitch again.
COO Alex Brown is delighted to have the backrower sign a new contract with the Club.
“Jake is a truly world class player and we are so glad that we have him back and fit at Gloucester Rugby ahead of next season.
“He has worked incredibly hard to recover from a career-threatening injury and we’re all looking forward to seeing him at his best again when the season starts in September.”
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