Directors of rugby up and down the country are deep in contract discussions with their exiting players and potential new arrivals ahead of the 2023/24.
Here are all the latest confirmed transfers, rumours and contract renewals from around the Gallagher Premiership....
Bristol Bears pour cold water on Justin Tipuric rumours
Reports Bristol Bears are interested in signing Welsh international backrow star Justin Tipuric are far off the mark Bristol Live can confirm.
Club insiders at the Bears have been quick to shootdown rumours circulating this week that the 89-cap Welsh international could swap Ospreys for Bristol next season.
Pat Lam is known to be an admirer of the 33-year-old flanker, whose footballing abilities would be a natural fit for the Bears, but the latest link with a move to Ashton Gate appear to have come from agents looking to improve his offer in Swansea with his current contract up for renewal.
The Bears were previously linked with the one club man back in 2019.
Exeter Chiefs set to battle Northampton Saints for 56-cap Welsh international
Exeter Chiefs have set their sights on Wales back-rower Ross Moriarty as a potential replacement for the soon-to-be departing Sam Simmonds according to the latest reports.
Dragons star number eight Moriarty is understood to be out of contract at the end of the season and Exeter are not the only club reportedly interested in adding the powerful backrowe with Premiership rivals Northampton Saints and French Top 14 duo Stade Francais and Bayonne are also believed to be in the hunt.
Former England star Brown signs for Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers have confirmed the signing of Mike Brown on a short-term contract.
The full-back joins Tigers after previously representing Harlequins, where he won two Premiership titles, and Newcastle Falcons.
Brown has made 72 Test appearances for England and featured in three Six Nations winning campaigns for the national side.
Speaking about the addition of Brown, Leicester Tigers Head Coach Richard Wigglesworth said: "Mike is an experienced Premiership player, who has represented his country and won trophies at club and Test level.
"His experience and his knowledge is vital during this Six Nations period where we have a number of players away.
Olly Woodburn set to extend Chiefs stay
Exeter Chiefs have agreed terms on a new contract with winger Olly Woodburn according to the latest reports.
Woodburn, 31, is in the form of his life for Chiefs having overcome the injury issues which plagued him last season and stepped up to claim a regular first team berth following the departure of Tom O’Flaherty to Sale Sharks last summer.
Bristol Bears, Bath, Gloucester and Northampton linked with Welsh international prop
A quartet of Gallagher Premiership clubs are reportedly interested in strengthening their frontrows ahead of next season with the addition of Welsh international prop Nicky Smith.
WalesOnline reports loosehead Smith is set to exit the Ospreys at the end of the season where he has built a reputation as one of the best scrummagers in the United Rugby Championship.
The publication reports Bristol Bears, Bath, Gloucester and Northampton Saints have all expressed interest in signing 28-year-old Smith who has earned 42 caps for his country but surprisingly been left out of Warren Gatland's Six Nations squad.
Full back flyer Hodge signs new deal with Exeter
Rob Baxter says he believes flying young full-back Josh Hodge can be at the heart of Exeter Chiefs for the next decade after the 22-year-old put pen to paper on a new, long-term deal with the Gallagher Premiership club.
The 22-year-old – who arrived at Sandy Park from Newcastle Falcons in the summer of 2020 – has so far made 37 first-team appearances, scoring 39 points in all competitions.
Hodge's signature comes as a big boost for Chiefs as number of big-name stars have been confirmed as leaving the club at the end of the season.
Gloucester back to make Northampton switch
Academy product Tom Seabrook has become the first Gloucester Rugby player to have his exit from Kingsholm at the end of the season confirmed - but he is not expected to be the last.
Seabrook, 23, will join Northampton Saints ahead of the 2023/24 season with plenty of movement at the club expected after a couple of years of stability.
Seabrook certainly made an instant impact on his Cherry and Whites debut in the Premiership back in 2018 against Saracens, scoring after just 58 seconds to set a new league record. Since then, the centre/wing has gone on to make 61 appearances for Gloucester, scoring nine tries as he has filled the role of a useful squad player thanks to his versatility.
Third choice scrum half swaps Bristol for Tigers
Bristol Bears have allowed scrum half Tom Whiteley to join Premiership rivals Leicester Tigers five months ahead of schedule with director of rugby Pat Lam insisting he has enough cover in the position.
Whiteley was set to make the move to Welford Road at the end of this season when his contract at Ashton Gate expires but with Harry Randall having made a successful return from injury plus Andy Uren, Will Porter and Oscar Lennon also in their ranks, Lam has been able to clear some salary space.
The 27-year-old has made four Premiership appearances for the Bears this season, with his last against London Irish on January 8, but only one as a starter and has a solitary game in the Challenge Cup.
Rising star of the English game commits to Harlequins
Hooker Jack Walker has penned a new contract with Harlequins.
Walker joined Harlequins ahead of the 2021/22 season from Premiership rivals Bath, making an instant impact as he established himself as one of the form hookers in the Gallagher Premiership.
Off the back of his debut season for the London club, in June 2022 Walker was called into Eddie Jones’ England squad for their tour of Australia and has been included in new head coach Steve Borthwick's Six Nations squad.
Key flanker commits to Exiles
London Irish have confirmed that club captain Matt Rogerson has signed a new contract with the Premiership side.
The 29-year-old has continued to be a bedrock of Irish’s back-row this year with one more try added to his total haul of 14 in five seasons as an Exile.
Rogerson recently exceeded the 100-appearance milestone as a London Irish player, making a century of appearances in a 39-17 Gallagher Premiership victory against Newcastle Falcons at the Gtech Community Stadium in December 2022.
Lock signs new deal at Quins
Harlequins forward Dino Lamb has extended his time with the club.
The 6ft 5in, 119kg lock who can also cover backrow has made over 70 appearances for the senior side since making his debut in September 2017 against Northampton Saints.
The powerful forward was a part of the matchday squad that claimed a dramatic 40-38 victory in the highest-ever scoring Gallagher Premiership final in 2021 to clinch Harlequins’ second Premiership trophy.
A product of the Harlequins Academy, Lamb becomes the latest player to recommit to the squad ahead of the 2023/24 season, following scrum-half Danny Care and prop Simon Kerrod, in addition to new signings Joe Launchbury and Will Porter who will join the Club over the summer.
Saracens snap up Bath flanker
Flanker Tom Ellis looks set to have one foot out the door of his boyhood club Bath Rugby having signed a short-term deal to join Saracens with immediate effect during the Six Nations period.
Academy product Ellis, who has gone on to make more than 100 senior appearances in the blue, black and white and has skippered the side on several occasions is understood to be leaving the Rec at the end of the season.
Exeter Chiefs confirm immediate second row signing from Bath Rugby
Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter has moved quickly to fill the void left by the departure of 'homesick' South African lock Ruben van Heerden last week by signing Mike Williams from Bath Rugby on a permanent deal.
The 31-year-old has agreed a deal until the end of the current campaign, but Baxter has said the option could be there to extend that stay further should the Zimbabwean-born 6ft 5in, 18 stone forward impress between now and then.
South African star to depart Sandy Park
Versatile forward Jannes Kirsten is returning home from Exeter to South Africa at the end of the season the club have confirmed.
Kirsten, 29, has agreed a three-year deal with his former club the Vodacom Bulls having recently run out against the South African side in Pretoria in the Heineken Champions Cup.
Second row signs new contract at London Irish
Lovejoy Chawatama has penned a new deal to continue his journey with London Irish, the club have confirmed.
The 30-year-old is entering his seventh calendar year as a resident of Hazelwood, joining from London Welsh in January of 2017.
He has made 84 appearances, playing a part in the team’s surge to two Championship title lifts in the 2016/17 and 2018/19 seasons.
This term, Chawatama has re-established himself as a regular matchday squad member upon return from injury, achieving his first appearances in the Heineken Champions Cup amongst his 16 matches this season.
England international fly-half departs Welford Road
Fly-half Freddie Burns has been granted an early release from his contract at Leicester Tigers to sign for Super Rugby the Highlanders in New Zealand.
Burns has made 114 appearances for the club, in two stints, and scored 794 points.
He made his Tigers debut in 2014 after joining from Gloucester Rugby and scored 603 points in three seasons, as well as featuring in the 2017 Anglo-Welsh Cup winning campaign, before departing for Bath ahead of the 2017/18 season.
Burns joined Japanese club Toyota Jido Shokki in 2021 before returning to Leicester ahead of the 2021/22 season, which he concluded with the game-winning drop-goal in the Gallagher Premiership Final win over Saracens.
Burns is reported to have agreed a deal to return to Japan next season.
Meanwhile, Leicester Tigers have confirmed the club have agreed deals with six members of their Senior Academy.
Sam Edwards, Tim Hoyt, Emeka Ilione, Tom Manz, Archie Vanes and Joe Woodward have all re-signed, committing their futures to the club.
Saints snap up hooker
Northampton Saints have secured the signing of hooker Tom Cruse until the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
Cruse, 33, signs as injury cover and brings eight seasons of Gallagher Premiership experience with him to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.
A reliable set-piece operator and mobile front rower, Cruse made 114 appearances and scored 21 tries for Wasps in six full seasons, before the club was placed into administration in 2022.
"Tom will bring a huge amount of experience and quality to our group, so we’re delighted to have him on board," said Saints’ Director of Rugby, Phil Dowson. "He’s a tough player and very consistent in the set-piece area as well.
Wasps prop arrives at Tigers
Leicester Tigers have confirmed the addition of Tom West for the remainder of the 2022/23 season.
The front-rower joins the club after most recently playing for Wasps, who he represented between 2016 - 2022 after graduating from the club's academy programme, while also spending time on loan with Nottingham Rugby.
West was selected as part of the England Under-20s squad in 2015 and 2016 before being called into the senior national squad in 2021.
Quins lock signs new contract
Harlequins club captain Stephan Lewies has re-signed ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Lewies joined Harlequins in 2019 from South African side the Cell C Sharks, where he racked up 80 appearances after making his debut in 2013 aged 21.
In just his second season with Quins, the Springbok lock was named Club Captain and went on to lead the side to their first Gallagher Premiership title since 2012, lifting the trophy alongside Alex Dombrandt following their 40-38 victory over Exeter Chiefs in the final.
Recently returning to action after a spell on the sidelines with an impressive showing against Racing 92, Lewies has amassed over 50 appearances for the Club to date, playing a key role both on and off the pitch for the London club.
Winger signs new deal at Kingston Park
Ben Stevenson has signed a new two-year deal at Newcastle Falcons the Premiership club have confirmed.
The 24-year-old Teessider has scored 18 tries in 61 games since coming through the Falcons’ academy.
Falcons head coach Dave Walder said: “Ben is another one of our homegrown players who has come through the system and done really well for us.
“He’s a good finisher who brings pace and power to the game, and it’s great news for the club that the likes of Ben see their future here.
“We’ve always spoken about our local core being really important along with the quality we bring in from elsewhere, and it’s testament to our region and our academy that guys like Ben keep coming through.”
Powerful London Irish academy product signs new deal
London Irish have confirmed that Academy product Chunya Munga has signed a new contract with the club.
Munga, 22, earned his first competitive appearance for the Boys in Green at the beginning of the 2019/20 season away to Bristol Bears in the Premiership Rugby Cup, since accumulating 45 run-outs.
The former England under-20 international has played in every major competition for Irish in his four years under Declan Kidney, including in the Heineken Champions Cup this term.
Declan Kidney, London Irish Director of Rugby, said: "Chunya has really come into his own lately and has showed excellent qualities, both on and off the pitch, that warrants his new contract here with us," he pronounced.
"Myself and the coaches look forward to what he can bring to the team in the future, he is still very young but he has potential to reach even bigger heights with us."
Harlequins CEO shoots down wild rumours over potential Andre Esterhuizen departure
Harlequins CEO Laurie Dalrymple has taken to social media to deny reports that giant Springbok centre Andre Esterhuizen is considering leaving the club for a move to France
French publication Rugbyrama linked Esterhuizen with a move to Lyon as a replacement for centre star Josua Tuisova.
But Dalrymple didn't let the speculation last long by tweeting ‘No he is not’ to an account claiming he was leaving.
Esterhuizen recently signed a contracted extension at Quins until 2025.
Star winger commits to London Irish
London Irish Academy graduate Ben Loader has put pen-to-paper to extend his stay in West London the club have confirmed/
The 24-year-old entered his seventh season of involvement with the senior team this year and has been in great form during the 2022/23 season, including a hattrick of tries against Bath Rugby.
Loader established himself as a starter in the European and domestic cup sides of the 2017/18 season, making his debut against Cornish Pirates the campaign previous and has since scored 36 tries in 85 appearances as an Exile.
Bristol star Harry Thacker linked with move North
Newcastle Falcons' recruitment team have set their sights on bringing Bristol Bears hooker Harry Thacker to Kingston Park according to the latest reports.
Falcons took the option to cut their costs and made the surprising choice to allow top scorer George McGuigan to join Gallagher Premiership rivals Gloucester Rugby last month having agreed on a new contract with England international hooker Jamie Blamire earlier in December.
However The Rugby Paper report Thacker, 28, could be set for a move north after five years in the West Country. He joined Bristol from his hometown club Leicester Tigers in 2018/19 and now made 88 appearances for the Bears in five years interrupted a number of significant injuries.
Saints snap up hooker
Northampton Saints have secured the signature of Curtis Langdon, with the England international hooker arriving at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens from the start of the 2023/24 campaign.
Langdon, 25, joins the men in Black, Green and Gold from Montpellier Hérault, having crossed the channel to link up with the Top 14 side earlier this season after his former side Worcester Warriors were placed into administration.
The 6’1", 107kg hooker previously enjoyed a six-year stint in the Gallagher Premiership with Sale Sharks, where he scored 14 tries in 89 appearances following a switch from London Irish’s academy set-up.
Having represented England Under-20s throughout 2016 and 2017, Langdon made his senior international debut during the summer of 2021 with two Test appearances against the USA and Canada.
Former Wasps centre heading to Northampton
South African centre Burger Odendaal will join Northampton Saints ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Odendaal will arrive at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens this summer from Japanese side Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo, having started this season with Wasps ahead of the West Midlands side being placed into administration.
The 29-year-old previously captained South African sides the Lions (34 appearances) and the Bulls (111 appearances) across the Super Rugby, Currie Cup and more recently United Rugby Championship competitions.
The 6ft 2in centre also spent the 2018/19 campaign in Japan with Kubota Spears, and having already showcased his physicality and ball-carrying ability in the Gallagher Premiership during his brief stint with Wasps, Odendaal is eager to return to England next term.
Falcons lock down tighthead
Prop Mark Tampin has signed a new two-year contract with Newcastle Falcons.
The tighthead has made 66 appearances for the club since joining from Ealing Trailfinders in the summer of 2019, having previously played for Leeds, Rotherham and Jersey.
Tampin, who turns 31 later this month, has featured 13 times for the Falcons this season.
Newcastle Falcons head coach Dave Walder said: “Tamps has improved loads during his time with us and really embraced being in this environment.
“He’s basically gone from being a Championship prop to being a Premiership prop, through his own hard work and taking on the advice of people here at the club.
“As well as his rugby ability he’s a really good presence around the camp in terms of driving the culture and bringing everyone together, so it’s great that he will be remaining with us for at least another couple of seasons.”
Exiles add Australian centre
London Irish have signed centre Eddie Poolman from Sydney University.
Poolman has competed for the university in the last two editions of the New South Wales Shute Shield, also helping the side to a Sydney Rugby Premiership title last year.
The 6-foot-tall back contributed heavily to Sydney’s recent title charge.
He started out his rugby career with Hunters Hill Rugby Club, one of the oldest rugby clubs in Australia, before progressing to regional honours to represent New South Wales Schoolboys side.
Falcons add international forward to their pack
Argentina international Pedro Rubiolo has bolstered Newcastle Falcons’ forward options by joining on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
The 6 foot 3 forward is able to play in the back row or second row, and made his test debut for Argentina against world champions South Africa in September of this year.
Rubiolo, who turned 20 last month, was part of the Argentina squad which toured Europe in November and has played for the Jaguares XV in the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby, as well as for Argentina Under-20s.
Head coach Dave Walder said: "Pedro has been capped by his country at just 19 years of age, and will also have benefited from being on their recent European tour.
