It is contract season around the Gallagher Premiership as players finalise their futures and directors of rugby build their squads ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
Here are all the latest transfer rumours, contract renewals and confirmed moves.
Bristol Bears star set to make French switch
Clermont Auvergne has come out of nowhere to win the race to sign former England international Nathan Hughes ahead of next season according to the latest reports.
Bristol Live understand reports in the Evening Standard and The Rugby Paper that the out-of-contract Bristol Bears number eight is set to join the French Top 14 club next season are accurate.
Forward Hughes had heavily been linked with a move to London Irish in the summer who are in need of a replacement for outgoing Albert Tuisue who has already signed for Gloucester Rugby.
Hughes, 30, is currently on loan at Bath Rugby who were keen to keep him until the end of the season and potentially longer than that, but with injuries to backrowers Steven Luatua and Sam Jeffries in Sunday’s defeat to Harlequins, the 22-cap international is set to be recalled to Bristol at the start of April to finish the season with the Bears.
Worcester Warriors snap up Fijian soldier on loan
Worcester Warriors have added Fijian back-row forward Lekima Ravuvu
Ravuvu is spending this month on trial at Sixways and will make his debut at number eight for the club on Saturday away at Exeter Chiefs in the Premiership Rugby Cup having been registered by Warriors.
Ravuvu, who previously played for Naitasiri in Fiji, is currently serving in the British army.
Semesa Rokoduguni finalising Bath exit
Despite having something of a career renaissance in recent months, Bath Rugby stalwart Semesa Rokoduguni looks set to leave the club for France in the summer.
The Rugby Paper reports the former England international winger, who turns 35 in August, has been in France this week finalising a move to ProD2 outfit US Montauban who currently sit seventh in the second-tier competition.
With Bath having just had their final bye weekend of the 2021/22 Gallagher Premiership season, all the players who were not rehabbing injuries were given the week off to recharge their batteries, or in Rokoduguni’s case finalise his next career move.
Leicester Tigers star linked with Super Rugby move
Winger Nemani Nadolo has reacted angrily to a report he is leaving Leicester Tigers to return to Super Rugby this summer.
Fresh from scoring two tries in a man-of-the-match display against London Irish, the 34-year-old was subject of speculation regarding a summer switch away from Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
The Rugby Paper carried a story suggesting Nadolo was seeking a 'return home at the end of the season for family reasons'.
While Nadolo was angry at the idea of him exiting Tigers getting leaked, he did not deny the fact, but asked the author of the story where he had got his information.
Meanwhile, the Syndey Morning Herald report both the Waratahs and Queensland Reds are interested in adding the giant 30-cap Fijian international to their ranks.
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Second Matavesi joins Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints have signed centre Joel Matavesi on a short-term deal.
The 25-year-old grew up in Cornwall alongside older brothers Josh (who plays in Japan’s Top League for Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi) and current Saints hooker Sam.
Matavesi came through Exeter Chiefs’ Academy system while playing for his hometown club, Cambourne, and the English-qualified centre also spent some time with Welsh outfit Ospreys before returning to Cornwall to represent Redruth in National Two South.
His breakthrough to Gallagher Premiership level came in 2017 when he made the switch to Newcastle Falcons, and Matavesi made five first-team appearances for the Kingston Park side, scoring one try on his league debut against Sale Sharks in 2021.
After a successful trial period at Northampton and loan spell with Saints’ partner club Bedford Blues – where he has made four Championship appearances since the start of February – Matavesi has penned a short-term contract with the men in Black, Green and Gold.
