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Leinster stars commit

European champions Leinster have announced that 21 players have signed new contracts at the Irish province.

In a sign of the growing strength of rugby in Ireland, Tadhg Furlong, Rob Kearney, Vakh Abdaladze, Michael Bent, Ed Byrne, Seán Cronin, Barry Daly, Tom Daly, Peter Dooley, Caelan Doris, Dave Kearney, Jordan Larmour, Nick McCarthy, Fergus McFadden, Ross Molony, Josh Murphy, Andrew Porter, Garry Ringrose, Rhys Ruddock, James Tracy and Josh van der Flier have all committed to the cause rather than move to England or France.

Botha leaves Irish for Ireland

Munster have announced the signing of South African back-row forward Arno Botha.

He will join the province at the beginning of the 2018/19 season from London Irish, subject to a medical. Indeed, Botha was supposed to have joined Ulster at the start of this season but failed his fitness test.

However, the 26 year-old, a former South Africa U20s captain who was capped twice by the Boks in 2013, has enjoyed a stand-out season for the relegated Exiles, prompting Munster to come calling.

Ospreys sign giant 133kg Moldovan

The Ospreys have bolstered their front-row options for next season with the signing of colossal Moldova tighthead prop Gheorghe Gajion.

Gaijon, 25, weighs almost 21st and stands at 6ft 2in and will join George North, Scott Williams, Aled Davies, Tom Botha and Lesley Klim at the Liberty Stadium.

The Moldovan No 3 follows in the footsteps of compatriot Dmitri Arhip who played 90 times for the Ospreys but is now heading to Montpellier.

Capped 13 times, Gajion has played for Russian Premier League side Bulava Taganrog, Italian club Rovigo and, latterly, with Trelissac in France.

Blues stick with Umaga

Former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga will continue as head coach of the Auckland-based Blues for another year despite his team winning only three of their first 11 matches in Super Rugby this season.

The Blues announced Wednesday that Umaga's contract had been extended into a fourth year. He will be joined by former All Blacks teammate Leon MacDonald as an assistant coach.

Umaga has coached the Blues for the past three years, during which they have finished 14th, 11th and ninth. The Blues haven't beaten another New Zealand team in more than two years.

Stade snap up Maestri and Sanchez

Stade Francais have made a double swoop for France second row Yoann Maestri and Argentina international fly-half Nicolas Sanchez.

Maestri, 30, was originally going to join La Rochelle from Toulouse, but had a change of heart after coach Patrice Collazo left the club last week.

According to French media, Stade Francais have paid Top 14 rivals La Rochelle €700,000 (£612k) in compensation.

Stade are looking to rebuild under new South African coach Heyneke Meyer, after a disappointing season, and the capture of 29-year-old Sanchez is a real coup.

The No 10 has been a star player for the improving Jaguares in Super Rugby and he has previous experience of playing in France with Bordeaux-Begles and Toulon.

France centre Gaël Fickou is also expected to be confirmed soon by Stade, moving from Toulouse, while South Africa prop Tendai 'Beast' Mtawarira is another rumoured signing.

Aviva Premiership transfers 2017/18

BATH

In: Darren Allinson (London Irish), Freddie Burns (Leicester Tigers), Shaun Knight (Dragons), Josh Lewis (Ebbw Vale), James Phillips (Bristol Rugby), Sam Underhill (Ospreys), Anthony Perenise (Bristol), Scott Andrews (Cardiff Blues), James Wilson (Northampton Saints), Max Green (Yorkshire Carnegie), Max Wright (Yorkshire Carnegie), Lucas Noguera (Jaguares), Victor Delmas (Colomiers, next season), Jackson Willison (Worcester, next season), Cooper Vuna, Will Hurrell (Bristol), Ruaridh McConnochie (England Sevens, next season), Will Chudley (Exeter Chiefs, next season), Jamie Roberts (Harlequins, next season), Joe Cokanasiga (London Irish, next season), Alex Davies (Yorkshire Carnegie, next season)

Out: David Denton (Worcester Warriors), George Ford (Leicester Tigers), Robbie Fruean (Edinburgh Rugby), Joe Graham (Rotherham Titans), Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors), David Sisi (Zebre), Daniel Bowden (released), Guy Mercer (Ospreys), Michael van Vuuren (London Scottish), Darryl Marfo (Edinburgh), Matt Banahan (Gloucester, next season), Josh Lewis (Dragons, next season), Nick Auterac (Harlequins, next season), Ben Tapuai (Harlequins, next season), James Phillips (Sale Sharks, next season)

EXETER CHIEFS

In: James Freeman (Jersey Reds), Matt Kvesic (Gloucester Rugby), Tom O'Flaherty (Ospreys), Toby Salmon (Rotherham Titans), Wilhelm van der Sluys (Southern Kings), Nic White (Montpellier), Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues, next season), Santiago Cordero (Jaguares)

Out: Will Hooley (Bedford Blues), Dave Lewis (Harlequins), Niko Matawalu (released), Geoff Parling (Melbourne Rebels), Damian Welch (Cardiff Blues), Ben White (Cardiff Blues), Matt Jess, Tom Johnson, Haydn Thomas (all retired), Thomas Waldrom (Wellington Lions, next season), Shaun Malton (Bristol, next season), Will Chudley (Bath, next season)

GLOUCESTER

In: Ruan Ackermann (Lions), Fraser Balmain (Leicester Tigers), Gareth Denman (Northampton Saints), Jake Polledri (Hartpury RFC), Ed Slater (Leicester Tigers), Owen Williams (Leicester Tigers), Jason Woodward (Bristol), James Hanson (Melbourne Rebels), Matt Banahan (Bath, next season), Franco Marais (Sharks, next season), Gerbrandt Grobler (Munster, next season), Jaco Kriel (Lions, next season), Danny Cipriani (Wasps, next season)

Out: Joe Batley (Bristol Rugby), Darren Dawidiuk (London Irish), Paul Doran-Jones (Wasps), James Hook (Ospreys), Sione Kalamafoni (Leicester Tigers), Matt Kvesic (Exeter Chiefs), Greig Laidlaw (ASM Clermont Auvergne), Joe Latta (Bristol Rugby), Tom Lindsay (Bedford Blues), Salesi Ma'afu (RC Narbonne), Jonny May (Leicester Tigers), Mat Protheroe (Bristol Rugby), Dan Thomas (Bristol Rugby), Yann Thomas (Stade Rouennais), Darren Dawidiuk (London Irish), Ross Moriarty (Dragons, next season), John Afoa (Bristol, next season), Matt Scott (Edinburgh, next season), Richard Hibbard (Dragons, next season), Jeremy Thursh (Western Force)

HARLEQUINS

In: Renaldo Bothma (Bulls), Lewis Boyce (Yorkshire Carnegie), Demetri Catrakilis (Montpellier,) Ben Glynn (Bristol Rugby), Dave Lewis (Exeter Chiefs), Josh McNulty (Gloucester Rugby), Francis Saili (Munster), Phil Swainston (Wasps), Mike Mayhew (Yorkshire Carnegie), Marland Yarde (Sale Sharks), Jonathan Kitto (Leicester Tigers), Nathan Earle (Saracens, next season), Max Crumpton (Bristol, next season)

Out: Owen Evans (Doncaster Knights), Tyler Gendall (Bristol Rugby), Matt Hopper (Oyonnax), Dan Murphy (Hartpury), Matt Shields (Rotherham Titans), Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors), Luc Jones, Robbie Nairn, Niall Saunders (all unattached), Karl Dickson, Nick Evans, Netani Talei, George Naoupu, Mark Reddish (all retired), Jamie Roberts (Bath, next season), Sam Aspland-Robinson (Leicester Tigers, next season), Charlie Matthews (Wasps, next season)

LEICESTER TIGERS

In: George Ford (Bath Rugby), Joe Ford (Yorkshire Carnegie), Jonah Holmes (Yorkshire Carnegie), Sione Kalamafoni (Gloucester Rugby), Nick Malouf (Australia Sevens), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby), Gareth Owen (Scarlets), Dominic Ryan (Leinster), Chris Baumann (Wellington Lions), Tatafu Polota-Nau (Western Force), Guy Thompson (Wasps, next season), Will Spencer (Worcester, next season), David Denton (Worcester, next season), Sam Aspland-Robinson (Harlequins, next season)

Out: Fraser Balmain (Gloucester Rugby), Peter Betham (ASM Clermont Auvergne), Riccardo Brugnara (Rovigo), Oli Bryant (Jersey Reds), Freddie Burns (Bath Rugby), Ryan Olowofela (England Sevens), JP Pietersen (Toulon), Jack Roberts (Cardiff Blues), Ed Slater (Gloucester Rugby), Owen Williams (Gloucester Rugby), Sam Yawayawa (Glasgow Warriors), Will Owen (released), Marcos Ayerza (retired), Jonathan Kitto (Harlequins), Harry Thacker (Bristol, next season), Dom Barrow (Northampton Saints, next season), Logovi'i Mulipola (Newcastle Falcons, next season), Joe Maksymiw (Connacht, next season), George McGuigan (Newcastle Falcons, next season)

LONDON IRISH

In: Darren Dawidiuk (Gloucester Rugby), Petrus Du Plessis (Saracens), Saia Fainga'a (Brumbies), Lasha Lomidze (Krasny Yar), Luke McLean (Beneton Treviso), Ben Meehan (Melbourne Rebels), Napolioni Nalaga (Lyon), Teofilo Paulo (Beneton Treviso), Gordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors), Manasa Saulo (Toulon), Jake Schatz (Melbourne Rebels), Darren Dawidiuk (Gloucester), Franco van der Merwe (Cardiff Blues), Stephen Myler (Northampton Saints, next season)

Out: Darren Allinson (Bath Rugby), Gerard Ellis (Dragons Rugby), Luke Narraway (Coventry) Jerry Sexton (Jersey Reds) Jebb Sinclair, Joe Trayfoot, Tevita Koloamatangi, George Robson (all released), Tom Court (retired), Alex Lewington (Saracens, next season), Blair Cowan (Saracens, on loan), Ben Franks (Northampton Saints, next season), Tom Woolstencroft (Saracens, next season), Johnny Williams (Newcastle Falcons (next season), Joe Cokanasiga (Bath, next season)

NEWCASTLE FALCONS

In: Ryan Burrows (Yorkshire Carnegie), Tevita Cavubati (Worcester Warriors), Cameron Cowell (England Sevens), Trevor Davison (Blaydon), Gary Graham (Jersey Reds), Toby Flood (Toulouse), Joel Matavesi (Redruth), Josh Matavesi (Ospreys), Sami Mavinga (Lyon), Maxime Mermoz (Leicester Tigers), Adam Radwan (Darington Mowden Park), Sam Stuart (Richmond), DTH van der Merwe (Scarlets), Jake Ilnicki (Northampton Saints), Tom Arscott (Rouen, next season), Logovi'i Mulipola (Leicester Tigers, next season), Johnny Williams (London Irish, next season), George McGuigan (Leicester Tigers, next season)

Out: Fred Burdon (released), Joshua Chisanga (released), Mike Delany (Bay of Plenty), Archie Erskine (Edinburgh Rugby), Andrew Foster (Rotherham Titans), Ben Harris (Wasps), Mouritz Botha, Tom Catterick, Sam Egerton (all retired), Rob Vickers (retired), Nili Latu (NEC Green Rockets, next season)

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

In: Mitch Eadie (Bristol Rugby) Piers Francis (Blues), Jamal Ford-Robinson (Bristol Rugby) Rob Horne (Waratahs) Cobus Reinach (Sharks) Francois Van Wyk (Western Force), Heinrich Brussow (Docomo Red Hurricanes), Dan Biggar (Ospreys, next season), Taqele Naiyaravoro (NSW Waratahs, next season), Will Davis (Ealing Trailfinders, next season), Ben Franks (London Irish, next season), Dom Barrow (Leicester Tigers, next season), James Haskell (Wasps, next season), Andy Symons (Gloucester, next season)

Out: Calum Clark (Saracens), Gareth Denman (Gloucester Rugby), Lee Dickson (Bedford Blues), JJ Hanrahan (Leinster), Sam Olver (Worcester Warriors), Howard Packman (Bedford Blues), Louis Picamoles (Montpellier), Ethan Waller (Worcester Warriors), Jake Ilnicki (Newcastle Falcons), James Wilson, Sam Dickinson, George Pisi (all released), George North (Ospreys, next season) Sam Dickinson (Ealing Trailfinders, next season), Kieran Brookes (TBC, next season), Nic Groom (Lions), Ben Foden (TBC, next season), Rob Horne (retired), Stephen Myler (London Irish, next season), Tom Stephenson (London Irish, next season)

SALE SHARKS

In: Will Cliff (Bristol Rugby), WillGriff John (Doncaster Knights), Marc Jones (Bristol Rugby), Faf de Klerk (Lions), James O'Connor (Toulon), Jono Ross (Stade Francais), Josh Strauss (Glasgow Warriors), Alexandru Tarus (Bezier), Marland Yarde (Harlequins), Rohan Janse van Rensburg (Lions)

Out: Sam Bedlow (Bristol Rugby), Andrew Hughes (Sale FC), Kieran Longbottom (Saracens), James Mitchell (Connacht), Dan Mugford (Plymouth Albion), Matt Rogerson (Jersey Reds), Peter Stringer (Worcester Warriors), Sam Tuitupou (Coventry), Neil Briggs, Mike Phillips (both retired), Charlie Ingall, Tim Jeffers, Magnus Lund, Jonathan Mills, Tom Morton, Connor Dever, (all released), David Seymour (retired), Mike Haley (Munster, next season), Josh Charnley (Warrington Wolves), Will Addison (Ulster, next season)

SARACENS

In: Calum Clark (Northampton Saints), Dominic Day (Rebels), Kieran Longbottom (Sale Sharks), Will Skelton (Waratahs), Christopher Tolofua (Toulouse), Liam Williams (Scarlets), Sione Vailanu, Nic Stirzaker (Melbourne Rebels), Alex Lewington (London Irish, next season), David Strettle (Clermont Auvergne, next season), Blair Cowan (London Irish, on loan), Tom Woolstencroft (London Irish, next season)

Out: Chris Ashton (Toulon), Petrus Du Plessis (London Irish), Tom Lindsay (Bedford Blues), George Perkins (Bristol Rugby), Jared Saunders (Jersey Reds), Brian Tuilagi (Dax), Samu Vunisa (Glasgow Warriors), Fa'atiga Lemalu (released), Tim Streather Neil De Kock, Jim Hamilton, Kelly Brown (all retired), Nathan Earle (Harlequins, next season), Kieran Longbottom (Western Force)

WASPS

In: Paul Doran Jones (Gloucester Rugby), Antonio 'TJ' Harris (Nottingham Rugby), Ben Harris (Newcastle Falcons), Juan de Jongh (Stormers), Gabiriele Lovobalavu (Bayonne), Marcus Watson (Newcastle Falcons), Nizaam Carr (Stormers), Nathan Charles (Bath), Brad Shields (Hurricanes, next season), Lima Sopoaga (Highlanders, next season), Ambrose Curtis (Manawatu, next season), Charlie Matthews (Harlequins, next season)

Out: Kurtley Beale (Waratahs), Tom Bristow (released), Nick De Luca (retired), Carlo Festuccia (retired), Frank Halai (Pau), Alapati Leiua (Bristol Rugby), Phil Swainston (Harlequins), Guy Thompson (Leicester Tigers, next season), Marty Moore (Ulster, next season), Danny Cipriani (Gloucester, next season), James Haskell (Northampton Saints, next season), Kyle Eastmond (TBC), Paul Doran-Jones

WORCESTER WARRIORS

In: David Denton (Bath Rugby), Tom Howe (Wasps), Simon Kerrod (Jersey Reds), Sam Olver (Northampton Saints), Pierce Phillips (Jersey Reds), Peter Stringer (Sale Sharks), Ethan Waller (Northampton Saints), Michael Dowsett (Southland Stags), Jono Lance (Western Force), Andrew Durutalo (Ealing Trailfinders), Kurt Haupt (Southern Kings), Anton Bresler (Edinburgh), Callum Black (Ulster, next season), Scott van Breda (Jersey Reds, next season), Cornell du Preez (Edinburgh, next season), Ashley Beck (Ospreys, next season), Michael Heaney (Doncaster Knights, next season), Isaac Miller (London Scottish, next season), Francois Venter (Cheetahs, next season), Michael Fatialofa (Hurricanes, next season), Dorian Jones (Dragons), Jono Lance (Queensland Reds, next season), Duncan Weir (Edinburgh, next season)

Out: Derrick Appiah (London Scottish), Tevita Cavubati (Newcastle Falcons), Mike Daniels (Hartpury College), Tiff Eden (Nottingham Rugby), James Johnston (Brive), Ryan Lamb (La Rochelle), Na'ama Leleimalefaga (Brive), Val Rapava Ruskin (Gloucester Rugby), Auguy Slowik (Northern Suburbs Rugby Club), Chris Vui (Bristol Rugby), Phil Dowson (retired), Andy Short (retired), Sam Betty, Tom Biggs, Connor Braid, Jaba Bregvadze, Ryan Grant, Cooper Vuna (all released), Christian Scotland-Williamson (NFL), Jackson Willison (Bath, next season), Will Spencer (Leicester Tigers, next season), David Denton (Leicester, next season), Huw Taylor (Dragons, next season), Biyi Alo (Soyaux Angoulême, next season)