As another week of pre-season ticks by and the new Championship campaign edges ever closer, this week we’re taking a look at some of the best signings across the league and what we can expect from them.
I won’t go through every signing (we all know Worcester have signed over 30 players!), but here are a few standout moves.
We may not have made any blockbuster signings or brought in big name Premiership players at Ampthill, but the key addition this season is actually a familiar face. Tino Mapapalangi.
The Tongan back rower, who has Premiership experience with Leicester Tigers, made a serious impression at the end of last season once he got a consistent run of games post-injury.
He’s a physical presence you definitely wouldn’t want to be tackling, and his return could be a real game-changer for us.
Down in Cornwall, the big signing is Arwel Robson, who comes in to replace the consistently solid Bruce Houston.
Robson brings plenty of experience from his time in France with Chambéry, where they just missed out on promotion to ProD2.
The Welshman joins a Pirates team looking to improve on their fourth-place finish last season. If he can click with inform scrum-half Dan Hiscock, that half-back pairing could prove a dangerous combination.
Morgan Strong
Coventry look to have recruited really well this summer. The standout signing is No.8 Morgan Strong, who joins from Championship rivals Doncaster.
Those who follow the league closely will know Strong has impressed everywhere he’s been.
He originally joined Ampthill from the Ospreys and became club captain within two seasons before moving to Doncaster, where he was arguably their best forward.
Linking up with Senitiko Nayalo in Coventry’s back row, that’s a combination to watch potentially one of the best in the league.
Doncaster Knights
There haven’t been a huge number of announcements out of Doncaster this summer, but the few that have come through look strong.
Josh Bainbridge (Newcastle Falcons), Matthew McNab (Cornish Pirates), and Ryan Olowofela (Nottingham), who joins his brother Jordan, are all quality additions.
Let’s not forget, Doncaster ended last season with a remarkable 13 straight wins.
With former Premiership stars like Telusa Veainu, Semesa Rokoduguni, and Logovi’i Mulipola tearing up the division, they’ll be a serious threat once again.
Ealing Trailfinders
It wouldn’t be a Champ season without Ealing Trailfinders picking up some high-quality talent from the Premiership or the URC and this year is no different. The standout signing for me is Deago Bailey from Bristol Bears.
The 23-year-old winger really caught the eye in last season’s Premiership Cup, most notably scoring four tries against Ampthill.
He also crossed the line in the Prem with a try against Northampton Saints, showcasing his ability at the top level.
A former England U20 international, Bailey will be relishing the opportunity for consistent game time.
With Ealing’s powerful pack regularly putting the team on the front foot, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him among the league’s top try-scorers this season.
Fair play to the recruitment team at Worcester Warriors they’ve built an entire squad with a blend of seasoned experience and young talent from Premiership clubs.
With over 30 signings, it’d take all day to go through them, but here are three standouts:
Tom Seabrook
A Premiership winner and Champions Cup runner-up with Northampton Saints, including a hat-trick against Munster. He’s a massive coup for Worcester and adds real quality to their back three.
Matt Kvesic
His return brings a wealth of Premiership and international experience. Expect fiercely contested breakdowns whenever he’s on the pitch he knows what it means to be a Worcester player.
Billy Twelvetrees
The former Lions international joins in a player-coach role from Hartpury. He put together a strong attacking system there, and while it’s a big loss for Hartpury, his Premiership experience will be invaluable for a newly built Worcester squad.
To top it all off, the Warriors have already sold nearly 5,000 season tickets an incredible number for the Championship and a sign that Sixways will be an electric place to play this season.
Across the league, I think most clubs have recruited really well. You always expect Mike Rayer’s Bedford Blues to play an exciting brand of rugby.
A key signing for them is George Worth, the former Leicester Tigers and Melbourne Rebels back, who brings top-level experience and versatility.
Another strong addition is Tui Uru, who rejoins from Chambéry and will link up in the back row with Tuilagi, forming a physical and athletic combination.
Caldy have pulled off an exciting move by signing fly-half Kieran Wilkinson from Newcastle Falcons. With Premiership experience at Newcastle, Leicester, and Sale, Wilkinson brings real quality to Caldy’s backline and should be a key playmaker this season.
Over at Chinnor, the club continues its remarkable rise under Nick Easter. One of their standout signings is Freddie Owsley, who adds serious pace to the backline.
And when we say pace, we mean it the former GB sprinter was once one of the fastest 200m runners in Europe. Expect fireworks when he gets the ball in space.
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