Paul Rees looks at the big name players who have been on the move in the Premiership during this close season
Player movement this summer has been more notable for those who have left than the arrivals in the Premiership’s age of austerity. The salary cap remains at £5m for a final season before going back up to £6.4m, although the ravages of inflation mean that will not stretch as far as it did three years ago.
The collapse of three clubs last season. Worcester, Wasps and London Irish, flooded the market at a time when a number of contracts were not renewed. The number of marquee players has dropped from two to one and so Bristol lose Charles Piutau and Semi Radradra while gaining the latter’s Fijian compatriot Kalaveti Ravouvou, a more than useful acquisition in the midfield who merely lacks the glitter of the player he has replaced.
Which sums up where the Premiership is as clubs battle to reduce the debt burden and come to terms with losing three of its members. Exeter have been the hardest hit, losing five England internationals, three to French clubs, one to Sale and one to retirement while Scotland full-back Stuart Hogg ended his career early because of injury.
In addition, club stalwarts like Dave Ewers, Joe Simmonds, Ian Whitten and Jack Maunder have moved on, retired or been released, stripping the Chiefs of the core of players who won the League and Champions Cup double two years ago.
Like Saracens in the 2010s, Exeter brought players through their academy who went on to be capped by England and command much higher wages, such as Nowell, the England wing who lost his place in the side after Eddie Jones was sacked as head coach last December. He is joining the Champions Cup holders La Rochelle rather than take a pay cut.
“Leaving Exeter was one of the hardest decisions I have had to make,” said Nowell. “I love the club and everything about it, but I have to look after my family, which is growing. It was my time to take a pay cut but was it the right time for my family to? Certainly not.”
During Exeter’s successful years, there was invariably little movement in and out of Sandy Park during the close season. Their model was continuity, but 16 players have left this summer, seven of them internationals, and only four have been recruited, including the Wales centre Joe Hawkins who put his Test career on hold to make the move down the M5.
Exeter have added Ross McMillan to their coaching team following the collapse of London Irish. The 36-year old has been appointed assistant forwards coach having been with the Exiles since 2019. “You talk about the players who have moved on,” said the former Northampton, Bristol and Leicester hooker. “They created a real legacy as a group and were rightly legends of this club. I want to be part of the set-up that creates the next group and be at the beginning of what I believe can be another very special journey.
“Whenever you look to change, you do a little bit of homework and that is what I did ahead of coming here. When I looked at the squad, the tools as it were, it did excite me. There are guys here who have a lot of quality about them and I felt I wanted to be a part of that. I want to add real value to the mix, but equally I want to be like a sponge at times and add things from those around me.
“I enjoyed my time at Irish and will forever be grateful to the coaches, players and staff there. Unfortunately, the situation there happened as it did, but I am happy to be at Exeter. Success here did not just happen but was the product of people and players working incredibly hard.”
Most of London Irish’s squad have found new clubs despite the Exiles folding at the end of the season, a time when squads for the following campaign have largely been sorted out. Flanker Tom Pearson has joined Northampton, who also signed lock Chunya Munga and prop Tarek Haffar, veteran hooker Agustin Creevy will link up with Sale after the World Cup, Australian locks Rob Simmons and Adam Coleman are bound for the Top 14, along with half-backs Paddy Jackson and Ben White, while centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg should solve the problems Bristol have had at inside-centre since Siale Piutau left in 2021.
England centre Will Joseph will fill the space left at Harlequins by Joe Marchant, who will be at Stade Francais next season, one of 18 players who are swapping the Premiership for France. Quins have also recruited prop Lovejoy Chawatama while champions Saracens have signed prop Ollie Hoskins, centre Lucio Cinti Luca and full-back Tom Parton.
Arguably the biggest catch was full-back Henry Arundell, who was capped by England last year after a handful of games for Irish. He was linked with Bath and Bristol, but with the two clubs constrained by the salary cap and both having settled on their marquee player, they had no room for manoeuvre and he is set to join Racing 92, the club Scotland outside-half Finn Russell has left to join Bath.
Even though Irish were the third club to fold last season, the surviving 10 clubs were not given salary cap wriggle room by Premiership Rugby to make it easier for the affected players to find new homes. Central funding is increasing because the pot goes further when divided between 10 rather than 13, but there were concerns about the implications for the following seasons, even though the cap is rising, if playing budgets rise.
The emphasis is on ensuring that no other club goes to the wall, which means getting costs under control. What is notable about the in and out list of the 10 clubs is that all them, with the exception of Harlequins, have lost or released more players than they have recruited.
Quins have brought in 13 while saying goodbye to 12, but the first figure includes four academy players who have been awarded senior contracts. Bristol have seen the most players go, 21, followed by Gloucester (20), Newcastle (19) and Northampton (17).
In total, the total number of ins is 81, almost half the number of outs, 158. The difference is 77 which means that each club’s squad is an average of nearly eight players smaller than it was last season. There are six fewer league fixtures and no league matches will be played during the Six Nations next season, easing the need for numbers.
The competition is not just from France. Sixteen players will be appearing in the United Rugby Championship next season and two will be in Japan. A total of 71 players were released after not being offered new contracts, left to find new employers in a saturated market.
Bath have have been relatively quiet in terms of recruitment, but they have made the most notable signing in Russell, an outside-half who likes wide boundaries. He is one of three recruits, along with the South Africa prop Thomas du Toit and Mikey Summerfield, a 20year old prop who found himself out of work when London Irish went under.
“Bath are top four contenders in my eyes,” said the former England wing Ugo Monye on TNT Sports, BT Sport’s reincarnation. “They have recruited incredibly well and what we saw, especially in the second half of last season, was an attacking identity emerging. Add in Finn Russell and I think they will be class.
“He is the headline signing of the season. I think he is the most naturally talented fly-half in the world. He is truly world class and he is glowing to light up the Premiership. He is box office and any team that has a magician like him in their side is going to be excellent.”
Bath have tended to play though their scrumhalf, Ben Spencer, in recent seasons rather than their 10, even when Danny Cipriani was in residence at the Rec. There were signs of that approach changing at the end of last season and there is no point in signing Russell if he is no going to be the side’s tactical hub, even if he is arriving from a country where 9s tend to be the dominant half-back.
Bath’s West Country rivals Bristol have recruited thoughtfully, as they needed to after two underwhelming campaigns: they are only in the Champions Cup because of London Irish’s demise, and while the loss of Piutau and Radradra will be felt, Ravouvou, van Rensburg and the England wing Max Malins, who is arriving from Saracens having spent a year at Ashton Gate on loan when Sarries were in the Championship, will not leave them weaker behind.
The champions have the fewest numbers of ins and outs, 15. Half their six recruits are from London Irish while the signing of the former Wasps’ No 8 Tom Willis from Bordeaux-Begles will offset the loss of Jackson Wray, who has retired, along with Scotland centre Duncan Taylor.
Bath
IN: Finn Russell (Bath), Thomas du Toit (Sharks), Mikey Summerfield (London Irish)
OUT: Richard de Carpentier (retired), Frankie Read (released), Dave Attwood (retired), Darren Atkins (released), Tom Doughty (released), Max Green (released), Gabriel Hammer-Webb (released), Valery Morozov (released), Will Spencer (released), Wesley White (released), Fergus Lee-Warner (released), Jordan Venter (Bedford Blues), Jonathan Joseph (Biarritz), Billy Searle (Toulouse), D’Arcy Rae (Montpellier),
IN: Max Malins (Saracens), Kalaveti Ravouvou (Fijian Drua), Kieran Marmion (Connacht), Gabriel Oghre (Bordeaux), Sam Wolstenholme (Leicester), Deago Bailey (academy), Joe Owen (academy), Benhard Janse van Rensburg (London Irish), Josh Caulfield (London Irish)
OUT: Joe Joyce (Connacht), Will Porter (Harlequins), Semi Radradra (Lyon), Sam Bedlow (Sale Sharks), Andy Uren (Benetton), Morgan Eames (Bourgoin-Jallieu), Ioan Lloyd (Scarlets), Bryan Byrne(Newcastle Falcons), Pete Carter (released), Toby Fricker (released), Jake Kerr (released), Sam Lewis (released), Jac Lloyd (released), Martin MPu MPu Mulhall (released), Henry Purdy (released), Aaron Thompson (released), Tom Wilstead (released), Charles Piutau (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Rhys Charalambous (London Scottish), John Hawkins (Jersey Reds), Sam Jeffries (Tokyo Sungoliath)
Exeter Chiefs
IN: Joe Hawkins (Ospreys), Will Haydon-Wood (Massy), Ethan Roots (Ospreys), Ross Vintcent (Exeter University)
OUT: Sam Simmonds (Montpellier), Dave Ewers (Ulster), Harry Williams (Montpellier), Jannes Kristen (Bulls), Jack Nowell (La Rochelle), Stuart Hogg (retired), Ollie Leatherbarrow (Newcastle Falcons), Sean O’Brien (Munster), Ben Moon (retired), Ian Whitten (retired), Jack Maunder (released), Solomone Kata (Leicester Tigers), Archie Hill (Plymouth Albion), Joe Simmonds (Pau), Mike Williams (Leicester Tigers), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks)
Gloucester
IN: Zach Mercer (Montpellier), Max Llewellyn (Cardiff), Ben Donnell (London Irish), Michael Dykes (London Irish), Caolan Englefield (London Irish), Afolabi Fasogbon (London Irish), Rory Taylor (London Irish), Seb Atkinson (academy), Cameron Jordan (academy)
OUT: Tom Seabrook (Northampton Saints), Finn n Theobald-Thomas (Leicester Tigers), Ben Morgan (retired), Jake Polledri (Zebre), Billy Twelvetrees (Ealing Trailfinders), Jordy Reid (Ealing Trailfinders), Jack Bartlett (Coventry), Ollie Adkins (released), Jenson Boughton (released), Keillen Cullen (released), Josh Gray (released), Giorgi Kveseladze (released), Isaac Marsh (released), Ben Meehan (released), Alex Morgan (released), Henry Pearson (released), Alex Craig (Scarlets), Henry Walker (Ealing Trailfinders), Bryan O’Connor (Bedford Blues), Kyle Moyle (Cornish Pirates)
Harlequins
IN: Joe Launchbury (Toyota Verblitz), Will Porter (Bristol Bears), Jarrod Evans (Cardiff), Dillon Lewis (Cardiff), Roma Zheng (Cardiff Met University), Cameron Andrews (London Scottish), Lovejoy Chawatama (London Irish), Chandler Cunningham-South (London Irish), Will Joseph (London Irish), Makeen Alikhan (academy), Hayden Hyde (academy), Tom Osborne (academy), Will Trenholm (academy)
OUT: Wilco Louw (Bulls), Joe Marchant (Stade Francais), Tommaso Allan (Perpignan), Josh Bassett (Leicester Tigers), Aaron Morris (retired), Scott Steele (Edinburgh), Conor Oresanya (released), Jack Stafford (released), Viliami Taulani (released), Ross Chisholm (retired), Rhys Litterick (Cardiff), Charlie Matthews (Biarritz)
Leicester Tigers
IN: Josh Bassett (Harlequins), Kyle Hatherell (La Rochelle), Jamie Shillcock (Mitsubishi DynaBoars), Finn Theobald-Thomas (Gloucester), Ollie Hassell-Collins (London Irish), Solomone Kata (Exeter Chiefs), Sam Carter (Ulster), Joe Powell (London Irish), Matt Rogerson (London Irish), Kieran Wilkinson (Sale Sharks), Mike Williams (Exeter Chiefs)
OUT: Sean Jansen (Connacht), Sam Wolstenholme (Bristol Bears), Chris Ashton (retired), Tom West (Saracens), Eli Snyman (Benetton), Calum Green (released), George Loose (released), Kini Murimurivalu (released), Chester Owen (released), Hosea Saumaki (released), Riley Williams (released), Harry Potter (Western Force), Jimmy Gopperth (Provence)
Newcastle Falcons
IN: Murray McCallum (Edinburgh), Kiran McDonald (Munster), Tim Cardall (Melbourne Rebels), John Kelly (Doncaster Knights), Ollie Leatherbarrow (Exeter Chiefs), Guy Pepper (academy), Josh Bainbridge (Coventry), Bryan Byrne (Bristol Bears), Cammy Hutchinson (Edinburgh), Louis Brown (Coventry), Hugh O’Sullivan (London Irish), Eduardo Bello (Saracens), Rory Jennings (London Irish)
OUT: Will Welch (retired), Alex Tait (retired), James Blackett (released), Jeremy Civil (released), Ewan Greenlaw (released), Chidera Obonna (released), Charlie Smith (released), Conrad Cade (released), Connor Collett (released), Carl Ferns (released), Conor Kenny (released), Pete Lucock (released), Tom Marshall (released), Cameron Nordli-Kelemeti (released), Greg Peterson (released), Sean Robinson (released), Micky Young (released), Gary Graham (released), Matthew Dalton (Soyaux Angouleme), Tian Schoeman (released), Logovi’i Mulipola (Montpellier)
Northampton Saints
IN: Curtis Langon (Montpellier), Burger Odendaal (Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo), Tom Seabrook (Gloucester), Temo Mayanavanua (Lyon), Elliot Millar-Mills (Edinburgh), Beltus Nonleh (Sedgley Tigers), Chunya Munga (London Irish), Tarrek Haffar (London Irish), Tom Pearson (London Irish)
OUT: David Ribbans (Toulon), Mike Haywood (retired), Courtnall Skosan (released), Callum Burns (released), Joseph Gaffan (released), Ethan Grayson (released), Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi (released), Archie Kean (released), Frankie Sleightholme (released), James Fish (Bedford Blues), Alfie Petch (released), Tom Collins (London Irish), Karl Wilkins (Montauban), Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (Melbourne Rebels), Oisin Heffernan (Bedford Blues), Matt Proctor (Melbourne Rebels), Brandon Nansen (Grenoble)
Sale Sharks
IN: Sam Bedlow (Bristol Bears), Ernst van Rhyn (Stormers), Telusa Veainu (Stade Francais), Agustin Creevy (London Irish), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs)
OUT: Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh), Will Cliff (retired), Byron McGuigan (retired), Jono Ross (retired), Dominic Barrow (released), Ben Carlile (released), Elliot Gourlay (released), Sam Hill (released), Ryan Mills (released), Matt Postlethwaite (released), Jason Woodward (released), Coenie Oosthuizen (Sharks), Akker van der Merwe (Bulls), Kieran Wilkinson (Leicester Tigers)
Saracens
IN: Tom Parton (London Irish), Tom Willis (Bordeaux), Gareth Simpson (Western Force), West (Leicester Tigers), Ollie Hoskins Tom (London Irish), Lucio Cinti (London Irish)
OUT: Max Malins (Bristol Bears), Robin His lop (Edinburgh), Ruben de Haas (Cheetahs), Jackson Wray (retired), Duncan Taylor (retired), James Flynn (released), Ethan Lewis (released), Obinna Nkwocha (Coventry), Eduardo Bello (Newcastle Falcons)
