Paddy Ryan and Will Chudley leaving probably opened up some funds to play with. Okeke iirc only played the one game for Munster and Hinckley was thrown out of Saints under a bit of a cloud.
Will Wand the outside centre/wing is leaving Coventry for an as of yet unnamed Prem side.
Tigers
(Cov have signed a load more than you've named, ditto Donny)
I hope it's Tigers. We could do with a 13/wing.
Donny signing players sort of makes sense as they are upgrading the stadium to meet Prem criteria aren't they? Coventry don't have the same plans and surely they aren't going to try and take on the Ricoh.
Paddy Ryan and Will Chudley leaving probably opened up some funds to play with. Okeke iirc only played the one game for Munster and Hinckley was thrown out of Saints under a bit of a cloud.
Will Wand the outside centre/wing is leaving Coventry for an as of yet unnamed Prem side.
Tigers
(Cov have signed a load more than you've named, ditto Donny)
I hope it's Tigers. We could do with a 13/wing.
Donny signing players sort of makes sense as they are upgrading the stadium to meet Prem criteria aren't they? Coventry don't have the same plans and surely they aren't going to try and take on the Ricoh.
They may upgrade if the next 10 days go well, but even then they don't have anything like the income needed to pay existing wages, so will be reliant on 'investors'. Cov would look to get in the prem if the standards and money were right.
I've just read that Jonny May has been approached by ProD2 club Soyaux/Angoulême (who finished a modest 11th this season) for a monthly wage of 5000EUR.
They're also interested in Telusa Veianu, whose contract with Sale is at an end.
I'd have thought Jonny would be aiming a bit higher than that.
Fun club being assembled at Montpellier next season, with domestic abusers Mohammed Haouas and Stuart Hogg both due to sign up to play alongside committed Christian Billy Vunipola, whose religion I'm certain will find just as much of an issue with this as it does about gay people.
Puja wrote: ↑Tue Jun 04, 2024 9:41 am
Fun club being assembled at Montpellier next season, with domestic abusers Mohammed Haouas and Stuart Hogg both due to sign up to play alongside committed Christian Billy Vunipola, whose religion I'm certain will find just as much of an issue with this as it does about gay people.
chris1850 wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 8:47 am
Sam James to Vannes
Second in ProD2. Outside chance he could be playing Top14 rugby next season.
Sam James is allegedly being targeted by Racing92. Unlucky not to have been capped and it’d be good to see him play in the Top14.
That would be a good financial result for him. ProD2 and touring France in a professional set up but with amatuer views to away days might be a lot more fun than being part of the Lancaster/Farrell combination though.
"Exeter Chiefs have confirmed a leavers list at the end of the 2023/24 season.
Announcements have been made in recent weeks of players who have been forced to retire through injury and the departure of club stalwarts Alec Hepburn and Ollie Devoto.
Discussing those who have stepped through the doors of Sandy Park for a final time as a Chiefs player, Director of Rugby Rob Baxter thanked all players for their contributions to the squad.
“I’d like to thank all the players for being a part of the journey with our squad and for being in the Chiefs Family. They were all good teammates to have in our environment and we wish them all the very best in the future.”
Joining Devoto and Hepburn in saying goodbye are Scottish international Jonny Gray and decade-long servant of the club, Tom Hendrickson – both of whom announced their departures during the regular season.
Rory O’Loughlin, Matt Postlethwaite and Iestyn Harris all faced the unfortunate situation of a career ended by injury.
Aidon Davis returns to South African shores to re-join Toyota Cheetahs with Georgian international Nika Abuladze also departing following his debut Chiefs season.
Matt Richardson and Patrick Schickerling will be teammates once more having both confirmed a move to Glasgow Warriors while Danny Southworth and Oli Burrows both head to Wales to feature in the United Rugby Championship next season.
Corey Teague, Harry Hocking and James Kenny have confirmed themselves as RFU Championship players next season – with Doncaster Knights, Cornish Pirates and Ealing Trailfinders – as Frankie Nowell and Joe Snow have made the move to Australia for game-time in the Schute Shield.
In the younger ranks, the leavers include Arthur Relton, Toby Clinch, Jacob Morris, Jeremy Tuima, and Ben Grubb."
Loads left in the tank. Why only signing for the one season, that's the question.
Standard in semi-pro Champ rugby.
For a big fan draw like the Booj though, that's just short sighted.
You're missing the trick though - every time they announce him re-signing, they get a massive boost in shirt sales as kids want the new Bedford shirt with Booj's name on the back. It's repeat business.
For a big fan draw like the Booj though, that's just short sighted.
You're missing the trick though - every time they announce him re-signing, they get a massive boost in shirt sales as kids want the new Bedford shirt with Booj's name on the back. It's repeat business.
Puja
Ah I never was much cop at the marketing lark. Makes sense now.
Planetrugby have Mercer visiting Toulon's training ground as he considers a move back to France. They also say Glaws want £1m to buy him out of the last two years of his contract.
I feel bad for him but it does look like a bit of a blunder leaving France on the hopes of an England spot. It just doesn’t look like it will happen for him.
I guess he gets away from Montpellier this way, at least. Playing alongside Ollivon, du Preez and Ludlam sounds like it would be suitably gritty to accommodate his wishy washy playing style.
I suspect Gloucester were the only ones with the cap space to offer the sort of wages he was getting at Montpellier. Bit of a shame he'd rather head off back to France then spend another season working on the areas Borthwick wants him to improve to try and force his way into the squad.
