Here are the latest rugby headlines on Monday, July 3.
Adam Jones' protégé to join Cardiff
Harlequins' Wales-qualified prop Rhys Litterick has joined Cardiff for next season, the BBC reports.
The 24-year-old front-row from West Sussex is Wales-qualified through his father Kevin, who hails from Ogmore, and has been mentored at The Stoop by none other than Wales front-row legend Adam Jones.
His move to Cardiff has been trailed for some time, although the Welsh region are yet to officially announce it.
Litterick had made six appearances for the Premiership club, and now joins the Welsh side which saw the departure of Dillon Lewis in the opposite direction over the summer.
As for being mentored by his childhood hero, Litterick previously told WalesOnline: "Having Bomb [Adam Jones] as my scrum coach is unreal and I couldn't ask for a better mentor. As a fan of Welsh rugby and as a tighthead he is someone I've always looked up to. He was one of the best tightheads in the world in his day.
"He's a class coach. He's honest which is what you want from a coach and he's always available for a one to one session with him. After each session he encourages us props to go and knock on his door to sit down with him. He'll tell you what you've done well and what you haven't along with what you need to do to improve.
"He's a really technical coach but he's also got a good way of managing players and also getting the best out of them. I think I've improved a lot working under him, and being coached by Bomb will give me the best chance of being able to take my game to the next level." Read the full interview here.
Ex-Cardiff centre joins Cornish Pirates
Former Cardiff centre Ioan Evans has signed for English Championship side Cornish Pirates, it has been announced.
The 21-year-old midfielder and former Wales U20s player came through the academy with Cardiff and made his senior debut in the Champions Cup double-header against Toulouse and Harlequins in December 2021, when the majority of the first-team squad were in Covid quarantine.
"Ioan has had good game exposure already," Cornish Pirates joint-head coach Gavin Cattle said. "He can play either centre position but is predominantly a 13, who is very experienced in that channel defensively. As a bonus, he also has a useful left peg as well. There is, however, still further potential for his game to grow to another level, which is exciting, so we will be keen to integrate him accordingly."
Francis leaves Ospreys
Wales prop Tomas Francis has officially left the Ospreys to join French side Provence.
Francis is the latest player to head to France's second tier, the ProD2, following the likes of Sam Davies, Rhys Webb and Ross Moriarty who will all play in the division next season.
The Welshman leaves a year before his Ospreys deal is up. He said: "I have made the difficult decision to leave the Ospreys and pursue an opportunity abroad. While this has not been an easy choice, I believe it is the right one for me and my family at this point in my career.
“It’s extremely sad to be leaving such a close-knit team, which is full of both great players and people. I’d like to thank the Ospreys coaching staff in my time here, especially Duncan Jones for teaching an old dog some new tricks. I’d also like to thank the wider Ospreys family for their support and trust in me as a player, and for allowing me to make this move.”
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English side appoint rugby league coach
Northampton have appointed former Castleford Tigers boss Lee Radford to their coaching staff.
Saints announced that the 44-year-old will join them ahead of next season and focus on the team's defence.
Radford, who coached Hull to Challenge Cup final wins in 2016 and 2017, left Castleford earlier this year.
He made more than 350 playing appearances for Hull and Bradford Bulls, in addition to representing England five times.
"Moving from league into union is a massive challenge, but a very exciting one," Radford said.
"I still have a lot to learn about rugby union, but I've had some great conversations with the likes of Kevin Sinfield, Martin Gleeson and Jamie Langley already about the game and how to best make that transition, so I can't wait to get to work."
Northampton rugby director Phil Dowson added: "Lee is very ambitious, committed and driven to succeed, and we feel like he brings an edge to our group and will connect with the players really well.
"He will have a lot to learn working in rugby union, but clearly there is a great heritage of coaches who have made that transition very successfully."
Saints reached the Gallagher Premiership play-offs last term, losing to Saracens.
