English Premiership: market movements

[Marco]

Gloucester announced the signing of 30-year-old New Zealand born former Wallabies hooker Huia Edmonds.

Edmonds, who was capped by the Wallabies at schoolboy, Under 19, Under 21 and senior level, missed the 2011 World Cup only due to a foot injury; he played Super Rugby for the Waratahs, the Stormers and the Brumbies.
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Bath signed 26-year-old Scarlets lock Dominic Day.

Day has played 97 games for the Llanelli-based franchise and is confident to reach 100 before moving to England.
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London Irish signed on a two-year contract 26-year-old back rower Tom Smith from the Ospreys.

Smith, who skippered Wales Under 21s and the Ospreys, played 60 games (2 tries) for the Welsh franchise.

[Marco]

London Irish signed on a two-year contract 28-year-old Tongan international prop Halani Aulika, formery of Otago and the Highlanders.

[Marco]

30-year-old Scotland and Gloucester hooker Scott Lawson (31 caps, 2 tries) will join London Irish at the end of the season.

The Lanark-born forward, who has played in two World Cups and is currently in Scotland's 6 Nations squad, started his pro career with Glasgow before joining Sale and from there, in 2008, Gloucester. He has played over 80 games and scored 6 tries for the cherry-and-whites.
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Former Ireland scrum half Peter Stringer (98 caps) will join Newcastle on loan from Munster until the end of the season as soon as his loan to Saracens expires in early March.

[Marco]

29-year-old Ospreys and Scotland winger Nikki Walker will be joining Worcester Warriors at the end of the season.

Walker has been with the Ospreys for 6 seasons playing 103 games and scoring 37 tries. With them he has won 2 Magners League titles, played in 2 EDF Cup finals (both against Leicester) and featured in the Osprey's win over Australia.

He is presently out after having suffered an ACL injury in the last warm-up game before the World Cup.

[Marco]

London Wasps signed 29-year-old Cardiff Blues and Wales (27 caps) hooker Rhys Thomas.

Thomas has spent all his professional career in Cardiff and has played over 190 games for the Blues. He made his international debut in 2005.

[Marco]

London Wasps also signed 27-year-old Welsh centre Lee Thomas from French side Lyon.

Thomas, who can also play at fly half and is considered a proficient place-kicker, had joined the French side in 2010 (gaining propotion to the Top 14 on his first season) from Sale, where he had spent four season. Before that he had turned up for the Cardiff Blues.

He has played for Wales at all age groups up to Under 21 and has captained all those selections.

[Marco]

23-year-old Scarlets number 8 Ben Morgan (3 England caps) signed a three-year contract with Gloucester.

[Marco]

28-year-old Northampton Saints centre Jon Clarke will join Worcester Warriors at the start of next season.

Clarke, who has played for the Saxons, has been with Northampton for 9 seasons. He can also play at fullback.

[Marco]

Exeter have signed on a two-year contract 24-year-old Ulster centre Ian Whitten, capped twice by Ireland.

Whitten, who has played 61 games for Ulster scoring 6 tries, has made his debut for the Irish province in the 2008/09 season.

[Marco]

Former England attack coach Brian Smith has been re-appointed Director of Rugby at London Irish.

Smith held the position between 2005 and 2008, when he left the Exiles to join Martin Johnson's coaching team.

[Marco]

23-year-old Tongan international back rower Sione Kalamafoni, who was chosen as the man-of-the-match in his country's win over France at the World Cup, will join Gloucester after two seasons at Nottingham in the Championship.

[Marco]

London Irish signed on a three-year contract 28-year-old Ireland international (24 caps) scrum half Tomás O'Leary from Munster.

[Marco]

Australian centre/winger Matt Carraro has decided to leave Bath after 3 seasons. He is "looking for new challenges" after 60 games and 75 points with the English side.
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Northampton Saints signed 24-year-old Sale centre Luther Burrell. 104kg Burrell, who made his senior debut with Leeds at 19, has played for Sale only in the last season. In the past he has played League for Huddersfield.

[Marco]

Gloucester announced the signing on a one-year contract of 24-year-old Dragons fullback Martyn Thomas.

Thomas, who has played 82 times for the Dragons in 6 seasons, has been capped by Wales at 7s level.
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Recently capped England hooker Rob Webber will leave Wasps at the end of the season to join Bath.

[Marco]

London Wasps confirmed that former England international (14 caps) and 2009 Lion tourist Riki Flutey will leave the club (again) at the end of the season.

Flutey, whose wife is pregnant with their fourth child, will return to New Zealand to then continue his career in Japan.

The back, who had been capped by New Zealand at Under 19 level and has played for the Maori, had joined Wasps from London Irish in 2007; he later played the 2009/10 season in Brive before returning to London. He has collected 81 Wasps caps until now.

He mentioned that, once his playing career is over, he might return to England - possibly to work with Wasps.