Stade Francais’ South African lock JJ Van Der Mescht makes a break (Photo by JOHANNES EISELE / AFP) (Photo by JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images)
Pre-season is fast approaching for Gallagher Premiership clubs who weren’t involved in the play-offs and directors of rugby up and down the country are putting the final touches on their squads.
Here is a look at all the latest transfer rumours and confirmed signings….
Saints sign giant South African lock
Northampton Saints have confirmed the signing of South African lock, Juan John ‘JJ’ van der Mescht from Stade Francais ahead of the 2025/26 season.
The 6’7”, 145kg second row arrives at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens having made 75 appearances for Stade during four seasons in Paris – scoring seven tries.
Born in Pretoria, he began his professional career with the Durban-based Sharks franchise, making 23 appearances in three seasons across the Super Rugby, Rainbow Cup and Currie Cup competitions.
Aaron Tull of Bristol Bears carries (Photo: Andy Watts/JMP)Bristol Bears backrower joins National One side
Bristol Bears’ Premiership Under 18s title-winning skipper from 2022 Aaron Tull has signed for National One side Rams.
The versatile 21-year-old, who can play across the backrow, made eight first-team appearances for the Bears, including three last season. Tull has also gained experience playing for Bedford Blues and Hartpury University in the Championship, as well as spending the second half of the 2023/24 campaign at Old Redcliffians.
Mackenzie Graham of Bath Rugby crosses the Bedford Blues try-line. (Photo by Patrick Khachfe/Getty Images)Bath flanker joins Coventry
Bath flanker Mackenzie Graham has joined Champ Rugby side Coventry Rugby full time having spent time on loan at the club earlier in the season.
Graham, 22, joined Bath Rugby’s Senior Academy on a full-time basis in 2021 but struggled to gain a foothold in the first team with backrow stacked with international talent.
Albert Tuisue of Gloucester Rugby celebrates scoring his team’s first try (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images)Cherry and Whites number eight makes French move
Fijian international number eight Albert Tuisue will play in the French ProD2 next season after a three-year spell at Gloucester Rugby.
Tuisue, 32, will join Provence Rugby ahead of the 2025/26 season after a largely unspectacular spell at Kingsholm having made the move from London Irish in 2022.
Tuisue made 45 appearances for Gloucester, helping the Premiership side reach the final of the 2023/24 EPCR Challenge Cup final, in which he scored a try in a losing effort. His final season at the English club was blighted by a broken arm which he recovered from to be available in the closing round of the campaign.
Orlando Bailey of Bath Rugby successfully kicks a conversion,. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)Leicester Tigers sign trio of fly-halves
Fly-half Orlando Bailey has left Bath Rugby to join Leicester Tigers ahead of the 2025/26 season in a bid to play more regular rugby in the Gallagher Prem.
Bailey, 23, had another year on his contract with champions Bath but has been allowed to leave his boyhood club having made 99 appearances for in five seasons after debuting as an 18-year-old. Capable of playing fly-half, full-back or centre, Bailey has registered almost 300 points for Bath but with Scotland star Finn Russell signing a contract extension, the arrival of Santi Carreras from Gloucester Rugby and the emergence of Ciaran Donoghue, his playing opportunities next season looked limited.
Despite the move, Bailey will face plenty competition for the number 10 jersey at Leicester with the club also announcing the signing of former Wallabies star James O’Connor and Billy Searle from Agen.
Bachuki Tchumbadze of Black Lion warms up. (Photo by Levan Verdzeuli/Getty Images)Exeter Chiefs set to add Georgian prop
Exeter Chiefs are set to add another potential diamond in the rough to their forward pack ahead of a pre-season getting underway early next month, following reports that director of rugby Rob Baxter has added a Georgian tighthead prop to his squad.
Chiefs are understood to have now completed a deal to sign Black Lion and Georgia international Bachuki Tchumbadze on a two-year deal, with Baxter in need of reinforcements in the specialist position with tighthead Ehren Painter still on a long road to recovery following a serious ACL injury last season.
Semi Radradra of Lyon during the Top 14 match against Clermont (Photo by Stephane Pillaud/Icon Sport via Getty Images)Semi Radradra to reunite with Charles Piutau
Bristol Bears’ star backline of Charles Piutau and Semi Radradra is being recreated in Japan next season with the Shizuoka Blue Revs confirming the signing of the Fijian centre.
Radradra, 33, has spent the last two seasons at Lyon.
Saints number eight heading to France
Number eight Iakopo Mapu has left Northampton Saints to join Top 14 side Stade Français.
Mapu joined Saints in November last year, signing until the end of last season and the 27-year-old went on to make seven appearances, with three of those being starts.
Bath’s John Stewart in action in a friendly against England U20s. (Photo by Bob Bradford – CameraSport via Getty Images)Bath hooker joins Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers have confirmed the signing of released Bath Rugby hooker John Stewart ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Stewart, 23, came through the Bath Academy, during which time he represented England at Under-18s level, and made his senior debut in the 2021/22 campaign. His first Premiership appearance came in the 2023/24 season against Leicester Tigers and he left the Recreation Ground this summer after four years in the senior squad.
Stewart also represented England at Under-20s level across two seasons, in 2021 and 2022.
Ruan Ackermann of Gloucester charges upfield. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)Gloucester Rugby favourite joins the Stormers
Gloucester Rugby fan favourite Ruan Ackermann will join United Rugby Championship side the DHL Stormers ahead of the 2025/26 season, his new club have officially confirmed.
Ackermann, 29, spent eight years in Cherry and White, making more than 170 appearances for Gloucester and is understood to have spoken to a number of Premiership clubs, including Bath, about staying in England, but will now join the Cape Town club having failed to agree a new deal to extend his stay at Kingsholm.
Deago Bailey of Bristol Bears runs in to score his side’s eighth try (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)Ealing Trailfinders snap up Bristol Bears
Championship winners Ealing Trailfinders have snapped up a trio of released Bristol Bears players.
Lock Josh Caulfield, winger Deago Bailey and scrum-half Sam Edwards have all been confirmed as new signings at Ealing ahead of the 2025/26 season, with last season’s second-tier winners set to face a stern test to lift the trophy again next year with Worcester Warriors having been allocated a place in the league with one eye on a return to the Premiership.
Matt Banahan spent 12 years at Bath Bath legend joins Hartpury coaching staff
Women’s team Gloucester-Hartpury have appointed former Bath and Gloucester winger Matt Banahan as assistant coach from 1 July, ahead of the 2025/26 PWR season.
Banahan made nearly fifty appearances for Gloucester Rugby as a player, retiring in 2021, having also won 16 caps for England.
Since his retirement, Banahan landed his first full-time coaching role as an assistant coach with Scotland WOmen in 2023, taking charge of their attack ahead of WXV2 in 2023, which they won thanks to wins over Japan, USA and South Africa.
Fijian fly-half leaves Leicester
Fly-half Ben Volavola will leave Leicester Tigers in the summer after one season playing in the Premiership.
After stints with Super Rugby side the NSW Waratahs and in France with Racing 92, Perpignan, and Agen, 34-year-old Volavola was a late edition to the Tigers squad, going on to make ten appearances this season, including seven off the bench in the club’s Gallagher Premiership run to the Premiership Final, and scored 25 points.