There are coaching changes and recruitment deals taking place behind closed doors and being announced around the Premiership every day as squads for the 2023/24 season take shape.
Here are all the latest transfer rumours, confirmed moves and contract renewals from around the Gallagher Premiership.
England star Anthony Watson exploring switching Leicester Tigers for Castres
England and British and Irish Lions winger Anthony Watson is due to visit French Top 14 side Castres Olympique in the next week as he explores his option ahead of next season.
The 55-cap England international joined Leicester Tigers in the summer on a reported one year deal after being told by Bath his services were longer required as they were forced to make cuts to build a squad within the reduced £5m salary cap.
Leading French newspaper Midi Olympique reports senior figures at Castres are keen to add some new X-factor recruits after a disappointing season so far, sitting 11thin the league and just above the relegation zone.
Bath Rugby confirm the departure of key coach as Steve Diamond rumours surface
Neal Hatley will leave Bath Rugby at the end of the 2022/23 season to become forwards coach for the Wallabies, the club have confirmed.
Hatley will now reunited with Eddie Jones who became head coach of Australia after being dismissed by England in the Autumn.
A statement from Bath said a replacement forwards coach will be confirmed in due course.
Blue, Black and White lineout coach Luke Charteris is also rumoured to be moving on at the end of the season, while this week The Rugby Paper reported that former Sale Sharks and Worcester Warriors boss Steve Diamond could join the Bath coaching team next season.
Saints confirm immediate departure of in-form backrower
Northampton have today announced that backrower Aaron Hinkley has left the club by mutual consent with immediate effect.
Former Gloucester and Exeter Chiefs forward Hinkley, 23, has made a big impression since arriving at Franklin's Gardens on trial towards the end of last season, making 19 appearances for Saints abd scoring one try.
Hinkley was understood to be out of contract at the end of the season.
Bristol Bears linked with biggest coaching shake-up since Pat Lam’s arrival
Pat Lam could be about to rip up his recruitment playbook and bring in a big coach from outside his inner circle ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Reports are circulating that Bristol Bears are keen on adding former Newcastle Falcons head coach Dave Walder as the club’s attack coach.
Walder will leave his role as head coach of Newcastle Falcons at the end of the current campaign but has effectively been put on gardening leave after falling out with the club’s directors over recruitment and retention after seeing England prop Trevor Davidson follow hooker George McGuigan out the door in high-profile midseason moves.
Exeter Chiefs coach confirms Joe Simmonds departure
Joe Simmonds was credited as being one of the key reasons Exeter Chiefs came from behind to beat London Irish 24-20 to clinch the Premiership Rugby Cup final on Sunday after added extra time.
Post-match, Exiles assistant coach Declan Danaher identified the former Chiefs captain’s introduction with 10 minutes left to play in the second half and subsequent influence as a tipping point in the contest, with his experience of playing in big knockout games invaluable in a match contested largely by up-and-coming junior professionals and players on the fringes of the first team Premiership squad.
Strangely this season, the fringes of the first team is where 26-year-old Simmonds has found himself at Exeter with Harvey Skinner being given more and more changes in the number 10 jersey in the Premiership.
Perhaps that is why Simmonds celebrated so joyfully at the final whistle at Gtech Stadium as he added another winner’s medal to his collection in potentially his last final as an Exeter Chief with a summer move to French Top 14 side Pau set to be confirmed soon.
Bath sign Springbok prop Thomas du Toit
Johann van Graan has highlighted the leadership qualities and 'winning' culture new Rugby World Cup-winning international tighthead prop Thomas du Toit will bring to Bath when he joins the club next season.
The towering front row, who featured in the Springboks’ 2019 Rugby World Cup title-winning campaign in Japan, will join the Blue, Black and White after the 2023 Rugby World Cup along with British & Irish Lion and Scotland fly-half Finn Russell.
A devastating force in the scrum, 6ft 2 in du Toit provides another strong ball carrying option for the club following on from the recruitment of Alfie Barbeary, Ted Hill and Ollie Lawrence.
Exeter Chiefs targeting Cardiff lock
The strong Welsh influence at Exeter Chiefs looks set to grow if director of rugby Rob Baxter gets his way with the club linked with Cardiff Rugby second row Teddy Williams.
The Rugby Paper reports Chiefs are keen to add the 22-year-old 6ft 6in lock ahead of next season. The Cardiff forward perfectly fits the profile of the type of players Exeter are looking to sign, versatile - with the ability to also play flanker, young and with plenty of growth potential.
English pair set to decide their futures at Perpignan
Former Wasps back Ali Crossdale is expected to re-sign with the French Top 14 side Perpignan who offered him a contract after the Premiership club went into administration earlier this season.
Both Crossdale and the club are understood to be keen on activating his optional year offered to him when he joined the club.
Meanwhile former Wasps back-rower Brad Shields, who was also picked up by Perpignan, looks set to switch the south of France for New Zealand Super Rugby Pacifiic side the Hurricanes next season.
Prop commits his future to Saints
Alex Waller has put pen to paper on a deal to see the loosehead prop remain at Northampton Saints.
The tenth most-capped player in Saints’ history and the club’s record appearance holder in the professional era, Waller has made 349 appearances in Black, Green and Gold and scored 25 tries to date over 14 seasons.
Gloucester confirm the signing of talented young Welsh centre
Gloucester Rugby have confirmed the signing of centre Max Llewellyn ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Llewellyn, who qualifies for both Wales and England, moves to the Cherry & Whites from United Rugby Championship side Cardiff Rugby, where he has made 38 appearances, scoring five tries.
The 24-year-old also spent time with Cardiff RFC in the Welsh Premiership and represented Wales U20s 14 times between 2018 and 2019.
At 6’5’’ and 105kg, Llewellyn brings a significant physical presence into Gloucester’s midfield options.
Max comes from impressive rugby stock, his father, Gareth Llewellyn, having won 92 caps for Wales.
The Cherry and Whites are expected to announce former England international centre Billy Twelvetrees will leave the club in the summer with Ealing Trailfinders his expected destination along with flanker team mate Jordy Reid.
Springbok winger to leave Northampton
Northampton Saints have confirmed that Courtnall Skosan will leave the club at the end of the 2022/23 season.
The winger – who has scored 19 tries in Black, Green and Gold – departs the club after making 37 appearances in a Saints shirt to date.
12-cap Springbok Skosan joined Saints from South African side Lions as well as over 100 appearances across the Super Rugby and Currie Cup competitions with the Lions.
The winger also played for South Africa at the World Rugby Under-20 Championship in 2011, and South Africa ‘A’ in 2016, before his full international debut for the Springboks in 2017.
Young Quins lock commits
Second row George Hammond has penned a new deal with Harlequin having emerged through the Premiership club's academy.
Hammond, 22, becomes the 17th player and the 12th Harlequins Academy product to recommit to the Quarters this year.
With 36 senior appearances to his name, Hammond has laid claim to a strong start to his senior career, having already played in all available competitions for the Club and playing his part in the squad that lifted the 2020/21 Gallagher Premiership title.
A mobile lock who has also been seen playing at blindside flanker, Hammond claimed eye-catching tries across three competitions during the 21/22 season.
Representing England at U17, U18 and U20 levels during his age-grade campaigns, Hammond extends a 10-year relationship with the South West London Club, having debuted against local rivals London Irish at the start of the 2019/20 season.
Falcons swoop for versatile young back
England Under-18s star Ben Redshaw has signed a two-year deal to join Newcastle Falcons’ senior academy from the start of next season.
The Harrogate native is currently at Sedbergh School and is regarded as one of the brightest prospects in the country, having shone for the Falcons’ junior academy.
Able to play a number of back-line positions, Newcastle Falcons’ head of academy James Ponton said: "Ben is really well thought of and would be known as one of the top England players at Under-18s level.
"He’s very quick, very strong in the tackle and to be honest he has a complete skill set.
"His attitude on top of that is absolutely spot-on because he’s a really diligent and hard-working lad, and he fits every one of the ‘GASP’ criteria we look for in a player (game sense, attitude, skill set and physical potential).
"Ben plays centre for his school, but has played full-back and centre for England Under-18s. He could play anywhere in the back three or outside centre, and at age-group level he can play inside centre as well.
"He’s a massively exciting talent and it’s great to have signed him up to our senior academy."
Wallaby star to leave London Irish
London Irish have confirmed that Rob Simmons will depart the Club upon the conclusion of the 2022/23 season.
The Wallaby veteran spent three seasons in west London and has made 62 appearances to date.
Simmons will take up a new venture over the English Channel with Clermont Auvergne as of the 2023/24 season.
And a headline signing from the URC
Connacht sign former Exeter Chiefs star Santiago Cordero
Connacht Rugby have confirmed the statement signing of Argentinian international star Santiago Cordero on a two-year deal.
Cordero, who can play both on the wing and full back, joins from Bordeaux-Begles where he has scored 29 tries in 67 appearances for the club over four seasons.
Cordero joined Bordeaux after too seasons at Exeter Chiefs. where he scored 10 tries in 33 appearances.
On the international scene, the 29-year old has made 45 appearances for Argentina.
