Free agents from Wasps and Worcester Warriors are dominating the inches of the transfer rumour columns with dozens of players getting picked up already.
Both have gone administration and made their entire playing squads redundant meaning there has never been more free agents on the rugby transfer market. As injuries bite around the Premiership, directors of rugby are moving to fill the holes in their squads with the quality players who find themselves out of work.
That said, there are also some huge international stars on the move or rumoured to be swapping clubs this week. Here is all the latest from around the Gallagher Premiership....
England star Jack Nowell keen on Exeter Chiefs stay
Star winger Jack Nowell has laid his cards on the table in an interview with the Daily Telegraph stating he wants to stay at Exeter Chiefs beyond his current contract which expires at the end of the season.
British and Irish Lion Nowell, 29, is certainly still performing at a high standard with the winger making more carries and beating more defenders than any other player in Round 7 of Premiership Rugby last weekend, and against Saracens as well.
Nowell said: “I won’t go to another Premiership side. I want to stay at Exeter, but I’m out of contract, there’s stuff going on with the salary cap and I’ve got a growing family. And I’ll be 30 after the World Cup. I’m in talks with the club at the moment; ideally I’d stay but I’m not too sure what’s going on. The first thing for me is my family.
“My only option if I’m in England is to stay. France, Japan… I went out to Japan for the World Cup – it was an amazing country. I’d like to give Japan a go over France but, obviously, anything could happen."
Wales captain Dan Bigger is talks over sensational midseason switch
Northampton Saints star Dan Biggar is set to join French Top 14 glamour side Toulon for the rest of the season according to the latest report
Biggar will miss Wales' autumn campaign through a knee injury, but reports in France suggest he will link up with the French giants once fit
The Wales fly-half has already announced he will leave Northampton Saints at the end of this current campaign. However, French site Rugbyrama report the 33-year-old will join the three-time European champions until the end of the current season.
WalesOnline report that at this stage they understand talks have been held over a move, although no nothing formal has been agreed yet.
Wasps backrow star Tom Willis wanted in France
According to French publication Sud Ouest, French Top 14 heavyweights Bordeaux Begles are interested in signing Tom Willis to boost the club's back row options.
Interest in Willis comes as no surprise as the powerful number eight started the season in explosive fashion, but according to reports was only being offered 'academy standard contracts' but clubs around the Gallagher Premiership looking to snap up a bargain.
Stade Francais sign pair of Wasps' highest profile players
Stade Francais have signed Wasps pair Paolo Odogwu and Vincent Koch as 'medical jokers' along with Fijian winger Peniasi Dakuwaqa.
South African World Cup winning tighthead prop, Koch, 32, moves to France having not played for Wasps after moving to the Coventry side in the summer from Saracens only for the club to go into administration by the time he recovered from an injury.
Odogwu, 25 has featured in several England squads without winning a cap and is also qualifies for Italy.
The trio come in for long-term injured Paul Alo-Emile, Sefanaia Naivalu and Telusa Veainu.
Worcester Warriors prop picked up by Bristol
Bristol Bears have picked up former Worcester Warriors tighthead prop Jay Tyack on 'a trial period' with immediate effect.
Tyack, 26, may be 'on trial' but Bears director of rugby Pat Lam has named the forward on the bench for Bristol's trip to Franklin's Gardens on Saturday in Round Eight of the 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership.
England international joins Perpignan
Former England international Brad Shields has been snapped up by struggling French Top 14 side Perpignan.
Shields, 31, found himself out of work earlier this month after Wasps made all their employees redundant when they went into administration.
Backrower Shield was born in New Zealand to English parents and received his first England call-up for the 2018 summer tour to South Africa, shortly before joining Wasps ahead of the 2018-19 season. He has since earned eight caps.
Perpignan, who are in Bristol's group in the European Challenge Cup, are in need of strengthening, sitting bottom of the Top 14 table eight games into the season having earned promotion over the summer.
Frontrower exits Bristol Bears
Pat Lam appears to be in the midst of a midseason salary cap juggling act as Bristol Bears confirm the departure of tighthead prop Jake Armstrong.
With so many talented free agents on the market following Worcester and Wasps going into administration, but little to no room to work with within the Gallagher Premiership's £5m salary cap to be able to sign additional players, Bristol Bears have confirmed Armstrong has left the club with immediate effect after four and half seasons at BS3.
Armstrong, 28, joined Bristol in 2018 from Championship side Jersey Reds but has struggled to establish a place in the first team, making 32 appearances during his four seasons. Last season he spent a spell on loan at United Rugby Championship side Edinburgh Rugby and in September he joined Championship side Doncaster Knights on loan who he has now joined permanently.
Exeter Chiefs snap up Wasps hooker
Exeter Chiefs have today bolstered their options in the front-row with the signing of Dan Frost from Wasps the club have confirmed today.
The 25-year-old hooker joins the Chiefs immediately and will be a travelling reserve ahead of tomorrow’s Gallagher Premiership trip to Gloucester.
Taunton-born Frost – who has previously represented Exeter in the A League – is one of several players who have been signed up by clubs across Europe in the wake of Wasps going into administration earlier this month, flooding the free agent market with talented players.
Out of work Wasps prop re-joins Saracens
Saracens have confirmed the signing of loose-head prop Robin Hislop following Wasps' demise.
The 30-year-old returns to the club after he had a spell on loan at StoneX Stadium in 2020, where he made three appearances for the Men in Black.
Hislop has also had spells at Edinburgh, Rotherham and Doncaster Knights and has also represented his country Scotland at age grade level.
Ted Hill commits to Bath Rugby
'Physicality' and 'leadership' are the attributes Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan highlighted as the reason the club have handed the England international flanker a long-term contract having initially joined from Worcester Warriors on a short term deal
The 23-year-old, who made his debut in the victory over Northampton Saints on Saturday, was highly sought after with Exeter Chiefs and Bristol Bears amongs the Premiership rivals for the backrower's signature.
Bristol Bears snap up Wasps scrum half
Bristol Bears have moved to strengthen their options at scrum half by signing former Wasps back Will Porter with immediate effect.
The 23-year-old represented Wasps 58 times, scoring four tries, before being made redundant along with the rest of the club's squad earlier this month when the Coventry side went into administration.
England international number nine Randall had surgery on his injured hamstring two weeks ago and is expected to be sidelined until early in 2023. In his absence, Lam has Andy Uren, Tom Whiteley and Oscar Lennon to call upon, but he remains unconvinced by the latter two options as regular Premiership players for the club.
Porter arrived at Bristol on Monday.
Warriors centre joins Irish giants
Out of work Worcester Warriors centre Oli Morris has signed for Munster for the rest of the season.
The Irish-qualified centre was identified by Irish Rugby’s IQ programme and was involved with the Ireland U20s in 2019.
Morris will link up with the squad this week and has been pictured training with the side already.
South African international leaving Quins
Harlequins have confirmed that tighthead prop Wilco Louw will depart the club at the end of the season to return home to South Africa.
Louw, who joined Harlequins in September 2020, has amassed 49 appearances in the famous Quarters, including scoring a try when helping Harlequins win the Gallagher Premiership in June 2021 in a memorable 40-38 win over Exeter Chiefs at Twickenham stadium.
Young Wasps centre joins National One side
Chinnor RFC have confirmed the signing of centre Will Simonds.
The 22-year-old joined the National One club from Wasps and has represented England Under 18s and also trained with the Under 20s.
He joined the Wasps Senior Academy in 2018/19 and progressed into the senior squad in July 2020, going on to make nine appearances, including two last month in the Premiership Cup.
