Rugby rumours and transfers: Dave Rennie, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Joe Hawkins and much more

Jared Wright
Planet Rugby recaps some of the biggest rugby transfer news and rumours, including Dave Rennie, Ihaia West, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Joe Hawkins and much more psdt

Planet Rugby recaps some of the biggest transfer news, rumours and movements in the world of rugby union over the past week.

Jake Gordon, Len Ikitau, Dave Rennie

Gordon re-signs: Rugby Australia (RA) and the Waratahs have announced that scrum-half Jake Gordon has signed a two-year contract extension to remain with Australian Rugby until the end of 2025. The scrum-half has been an integral member of the Waratahs squad since making his debut in 2017, scoring 25 tries in his 78 appearances. The 29-year-old has pulled on the gold jersey on 20 occasions.

Ikitau signs a new deal: Brumbies centre Len Ikitau is the latest star to commit his services to RA, signing a new contract until the end of 2025. He follows Allan Alaalatoa, Angus Bell, Matt Gibbon, Taniela Tupou, Lachlan Lonergan, Langi Gleeson, Jed Holloway, Rob Leota, Fraser McReight, Rob Valetini and Ryan Lonergan, who have signed on until at least 2025.

Rennie set for Super Rugby return: Former Wallabies head coach Dave Rennie could return to coaching with the Blues. The Super Rugby winner with the Chiefs was rumoured to be off to Japan next year but could instead return to Super Rugby with the Blues. It is expected that current Blues head coach Leon MacDonald will vacate his role at the end of the season and will either land the Scotland head coach job or join Scott Robertson’s All Blacks coaching team. The New Zealand Herald reports that the Blues have moved in to make Rennie an offer to be their new boss from 2024.

Ollie Hassell-Collins, Mike Brown, Cameron Henderson

Tigers sign OHC: Leicester Tigers announced the signing of newly capped England international Ollie Hassell-Collins ahead of the 2023/23 season. Hassell-Collins is the fifth confirmed signing for Dan McKellar’s Leicester Tigers squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign alongside Josh Bassett, Kyle Hatherell, Jamie Shillcock and Finn Theobald-Thomas.

Brown re-signs: Mike Brown will remain at Leicester Tigers beyond the 2022/23 season after signing a contract extension with the side. Brown joined the Tigers on a short-term contract midway through the current campaign. He made 72 Test appearances for England between 2007 and 2018, winning three Six Nations titles.

Henderson locked in: Leicester Tigers have agreed a new deal with Cameron Henderson ahead of next season. The 23-year-old has made over 30 appearances for the Tigers since debuting in August 2020.

Exeter raid Ospreys

Exeter sign Hawkins: Highly rated Welsh international Joe Hawkins has signed a long-term deal with Premiership club Exeter Chiefs. The 20-year-old joins fellow Welshman Oli Burrows, Dafydd Jenkins, Dan John and Christ Tshiunza at the club. Hawkins came through the Ospreys pathway and made his Test debut for Wales last November.

Roots heads to Sandy Park: Joining Hawkins at Exeter next season is flanker Ethan Roots, who has also signed a deal with the Premiership side. The New Zealander joined Ospreys in March 2021 and has played over 30 times for the Welsh outfit since.

Haydon-Wood completes the trio: The last of Exeter’s signings comes from France in the form of Will Haydon-Wood. The 22-year-old is currently plying his trade with Pro D2 side Massy having previously played for Premiership sides Newcastle Falcons and Wasps.

Tom Lynagh, Ethan de Groot, Harry Godfrey

Reds youngster re-signs: The Queensland Reds announced that rising star Tom Lynagh has re-signed with the side through to 2025. The 19-year-old made his Reds debut in Round 1 of the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season and started at fly-half in Queensland’s opening three matches and has scored a total of 24 points (6 cons, 4 pens) in four matches.

De Groot remains at Highlanders: All Blacks prop Ethan de Groot has penned a new deal with the Highlanders, Southland and New Zealand Rugby. The 24-year-old has played 13 Test matches for the All Blacks and became a regular starter for the side in 2022, earning 10 of those Test caps last year.

Godfrey commits to ‘Canes: Rookie back Harry Godfrey has re-signed with the Hurricanes until the end of the 2025 season. The 20-year-old debuted for the Hurricanes against the Reds in the opening game of the season and started for the first time against the Western Force.

Busy Bears, Dragons’ eight

Bristol Bears re-signings: It was a busy week for the Bristol Bears, who confirmed that nine players have signed contract extensions at the club. Steven Luatua, Harry Thacker, Max Lahiff, Yann Thomas, Jake Woolmore, Jake Heenan, Piers O’Conor, Ed Holmes, and Jay Tyack have all signed extended deals at Ashton Gate ahead of next season.

Two arrivals: The Premiership club also announced the signings of two former Wasps players. Scrum-half Sam Wolstenholme, who played 32 times for Wasps and is currently on a short-term contract with Leicester Tigers, will join the side ahead of the 2023/24 season. Joining him in moving to Bristol is hooker Gabriel Oghre, who made 66 appearances for Wasps and has since had short stints at Leicester Tigers and Top 14 outfit Bordeaux.

Dragons’ eight: With the contract row between the Welsh Rugby Union and the regions, the Dragons have announced new deals with eight players. Harrison Keddie, Elliot Dee, Jack Dixon, Joe Davies, Lloyd Fairbrother, Ollie Griffiths and Ashton Hewitt have all agreed to new contracts with the club.

Rory Jennings, Harri Doel, Courtnall Skosan, Ernst van Rhyn

Jennings re-signs: London Irish have confirmed that Rory Jennings has signed a new contract with the club. Jennings has made 24 appearances in the Exiles jersey since his arrival before the 2021/22 campaign.

Doel joins Ospreys: Following Alex Cuthbert’s injury, Ospreys have signed Harri Doel as cover.

Skosan set for Stormers’ stint: Springboks winger Courtnall Skosan will leave Northampton Saints at the end of the season. The speedster could return to South Africa with the Stormers. According to a report by The Rugby Paper, John Dobson is keen to add the winger to the squad, but Skosan is being asked to take a pay cut.

Sale target Van Rhyn: While Dobson could add a new winger to his ranks, he could lose a key forward in Ernst van Rhyn. According to The Rugby Paper, Alex Sanderson is stepping up his recruitment for next season, and Van Rhyn is one of the players on his shortlist.

Ihaia West, three re-signings at Clermont, Josua Tuisova

West to rejoin La Rochelle: Former Hurricanes and Blues fly-half Ihaia West will return to La Rochelle next season, according to L’Equipe. The fly-half joined Toulon at the start of the current season but will return to La Rochelle with Toulon releasing him from the final season of his contract. He signed until 2025 with La Rochelle, the report adds.

Trio extend with ASM: Three players have reportedly re-signed with Clermont ahead of next season. Veteran back-rowers Fritz Lee and Peceli Yato are out of contract at the end of the season, but according to La Montagne, the pair have signed extensions with the club. Meanwhile, rising star Baptiste Jauneau has reportedly re-signed until 2024. Yato’s situation is less clear, with Rugby Rama adding that Montpellier has offered the Fijian a contract.

Tuisova to Racing: Fijian international Josua Tuisova will join Racing 92 next season, according to Rugby Rama. The powerhouse back was said to be unhappy with joining Racing and looked to back out of his pre-contract agreement. Toulon was interested in securing his services away from the Parisian club, but new reports state he will, in fact, join Racing 92, making him one of the highest-earning players in the world.

Tom Robinson, Pieter-Steph du Toit

Robinson to Japan: Blues utility forward Tom Robinson is set to leave the Super Rugby Pacific side and head to Japan next year, according to a report by the New Zealand Herald. The forward is set to join Toyota Verblitz, signing on with the Steven Hansen-coached side.

PSDT set for Stormers return: The signing of Robinson indicates that Springbok forward and 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit will leave the side at the end of the season. Du Toit has been linked with a return to South Africa to return the Stormers with a third party rumoured to cover a portion of his salary. L’Equipe reported this week that Toulon opened talks with the Springbok but has abandoned their attempts to sign him as his salary would not fit into the side’s budget.

Ulster trio, Jordi Murphy

New deals at Ulster: Prop Eric O’Sullivan, back-rower Greg Jones and full-back Shea O’Brien have re-signed with the province ahead of the 2023/24 season. O’Sullivan recently hit 100 caps for the province against Glasgow Warriors, while Jones debuted for the side in 2017. O’Brien caught the eye of Ulster during the 2020 Bank of Ireland Senior Cup.

Murphy retires: Ireland and Ulster forward Jordi Murphy has announced that he will retire from rugby at the end of this season. The back-rower has played 30 Tests for Ireland and over 100 times for Leinster before he moved to Ulster in 2018. He featured in Ireland’s first-ever win over New Zealand seven years ago and said he felt “that the time is right, and together with my family, we are looking forward to the next chapter in our lives”.

Gonzalo Garcia, Giosue Zilocchi, Jack Dempsey

Garcia re-signs with Zebre: The scrum-half has struggled with injuries but has signed a contract renewal until 2024. Gonzalo Garcia has played three times for Argentina to date.

Zilocchi returns to Italy: Azzurri prop Giosuè Zilocchi will return to Italy next season, signing with URC side Benetton until June 2025. He leaves London Irish to return to Italy and joins Andy Uren, Malakai Fekitoa and Edoardo Iachizzi in signing for the club.

Dempsey extends with Glasgow: Fan favourite Jack Dempsey has signed a contract with Glasgow Warriors to remain at the club for the ‘foreseeable future’. The 28-year-old earned 14 Test caps for Australia but was able to switch allegiances because of his Scots-born grandfather and made his debut for Scotland in the autumn of 2022. He has played over 33 times for Glasgow since joining the side in 2021.

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Australia Joe Hawkins