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Gallagher-Prime Minister
Leicester Tigers are eager to bond England sign Ollie Chessum to a new long-term deal and keep him at Welford Road after he entered the final year of his deal at the start of July.
The Chessum club captain is highly rated by Tigers boss Geoff Parling and is likely to attract serious interest from Gallagher’s PREM rivals, with his stock having risen since he signed his last contract in December 2024.
The Tigers will be delighted to avoid a repeat of losing another international enforcer, George Martin, who has joined Saracens when his contract at Welford Road expired at the end of last season.
Dan McFarland admits that renewing his working relationship with Gregor Townsend was a key factor in his decision to link up with Newcastle Red Bulls in the summer.
McFarland knows Townsend, who has a part-time role as a “strategic advisor” to the Austrian-owned energy drink giant, from their time together north of the border with Glasgow Warriors and the Scotland national side.
“Having him (Townsend) here and consulting and being able to help in terms of guidance was a big attraction for me in joining the club. I really respect Gregor’s way of playing the game. It’s very important for me to talk to him regularly,” he said.
Ex All black people Hard-nosed Jeffery Toomaga-Allen appeared to be on his travels again and was in advanced talks about a move to Bordeaux-Bègles, but pulled the plug at the last minute.
Toomaga-Allen, 35, who earned his only cap against the All Blacks Japan in November 2013, he has since changed his international allegiance Samoa and spent the last three seasons with the Queensland Reds.
Ex Wasps and Ulster as sent Bordeaux back to the drawing board when he decided not to move into France for personal reasons.
Quins boss Jason Gilmore has launched a twin raid on London Scottish for flanker Jake Spurway and tough Osman Dimen to bolster his PREM Rugby Cup squad.
A former Scotland under-20 international, Spurway is set to start against Northampton Saints on a blindside, while Dimen, who played for Bourgoin-Jallieu and Chambéry in France’s third tier, will be on the bench after spending pre-season at the club.
Gilmore recruited Royal Artillery and British Army Sitiveni Vasuturaga last week and will make his first start against Saints at the Stoop.
La Rochelle who got the former England and Lions Star Jack Nowell, who is out of contract at the end of the season, is keen on a move for Pau’s former French under-20 international Gregoire Arfeuil.
Arfeuil, 21, has scored 11 tries in 20 appearances Pau and he is in the last year of his contract; negotiations to get him to sign a new one recently broke down without a deal.
But Ronan O’Gara faces stiff competition from Racing 92, Stade Français and Montpellier, who are all interested in talking to Beaune-born Arfeuil, with Lyon also interested and Dijon.
Former Scotland and Lions star Richie Gray is taking his first steps into coaching after joining the staff at former club Toyota Verblitz, where he ended his long playing career.
Gray, 37, who won a Top 14 title with Toulouse in 2019 United Rugby Championship crown with Glasgow two years ago, won 77 caps for his country and another for the Lions.
He played 13 times for Verblitz and joined Andrew Strawbridge, Sasaki Takamichi, Ueno Ryuta and Sugimoto Koichi in Ian Foster’s staff when the players returned to pre-season training.
Ex Edinburgh Scrum-half Charlie Shiel could move Pro D2 high-flyers Biarritz Olympique, who started the season with two wins from three games and are third in the early season standings.
Shiel, 28, made 107 appearances for Scotland’s premier club, but Biarritz, who won Colomiers 38-20 on Thursday night, they are looking for an injury wildcard to cover Ano Laurent.
Midi Olympique also report that Shiels’ CV has also been sent to Bayonne, who are also in the market for a scrum-half to bolster their squad this season.
Bath he looks set to start for young Argentine first-rower Marcos Camerrinckx, who has played for his country at under-20 level both as a hooker and as a hooker.
X Commentator account. Rugby reports that the 22-year-old is highly rated in the Argentina and having come through the ranks at Club Regatas de Bella Vista before joining the Pampas XV, he is close to securing a move to the West Country outfit.
He will become the second South American in Bath’s squad, with Cougars Fly-half Santi Carreras is already at the club following a move from Gloucester in the summer of 2025.
