The twelve players joining Harlequins next season
Harlequins have confirmed all twelve players that will join the club ahead of the 2019/20 season.
Santiago Garcia Botta (Prop) – Jaguares
The powerful scrummager, who has 33 international caps, will join the Club after the World Cup in Japan, if selected, later this year. The 26-year-old currently plays for Jaguares and was part of the Argentina squad that reached the World Cup semi-finals in 2015.
Scott Baldwin (Hooker) – Ospreys
The Wales international said he was delighted to be joining Harlequins after 10 years with Ospreys, where he has made over 120 appearances.
Michele Campagnaro (Centre) – Wasps
The strong, ball-carrying Centre, who can also cover wing, was a member of the Exeter Chiefs squad who won the Premiership in the 2016/17 season and is currently playing his rugby with Wasps. The 26-year-old represented Italy in the recent Six Nations campaign and to date has amassed 42 caps for Italy and scored nine tries for his country.
Will Evans (Flanker) – Leicester Tigers
Openside flanker Evans enjoyed a stellar rise through the ranks at Leicester in the closing stages of the 2015/16 season, making his senior debut for Leicester Tigers and then going to the World Under-20s Championships with England who reached the final and was then deservedly named in the competition dream team.
Evans, 22, earned international recognition at four age-group levels as he progressed through the Tigers academy. He made his Premiership debut against Gloucester at Welford Road in April 2016 and made three more appearances that season, including in the semi-final at Saracens. He was a member of England’s senior EPS squad of 45 back in 2016 at the tender age of 19.
Toby Freeman (Lock) – Cornish Pirates
The 31-year-old, who started his career in Cornwall and then went on to play for Rotherham and Nottingham, has been a mainstay of the Pirates team since his return there in 2017. He is an experienced campaigner, having played over 100 games in the Championship and brings a wealth of experience with him to Harlequins.
Brett Herron (Fly-half) – Jersey Reds
The 23-year-old, who can also provide cover at Fullback, is a product of the prestigious rugby school Wellington College, and made his debut for Bath United in 2014 before moving to for Ulster where he made eight appearances.
Herron then joined Jersey Reds last season and, having put in an eye-catching performance against Harlequins in last summer’s pre-season fixture between the clubs, has been a stand-out player for the Channels Islands’ side all season scoring over 100 points in 21 matches as they have risen to third in the Greene King Championship.
Simon Kerrod (Prop) – Worcester Warriors
The Tighthead prop joined Worcester from Jersey Reds at the start of the 2017/18 season having previously represented Sharks and Eastern Province Kings in South Africa. Kerrod, 26, was born in Johannesburg and has previously been selected in a South Africans Barbarian team, but is English-qualified.
Martin Landajo (Scrum-half) – Jaguares
The 30-year-old, who is one of his country’s most capped internationals with 84 appearances and was part of the Argentina squad which reached the semi-finals of the 2015 World Cup, will complement Danny Care’s skill-set and provide another level of leadership across the squad.
Tom Lawday (Number Eight) – Exeter Chiefs
The powerful Number eight, who is currently with Exeter Chiefs, is a former BUCS player of the season and has represented England Students. Lawday, who capped his final year at the University of Exeter with that BUCS award and as top try-scorer in BUCS Super Rugby in 2016/17, joined the Chiefs that summer.
Stephan Lewies (Lock) – Lions
South African international Lewies, 27, is currently on loan with Lions but played the majority of his career in South Africa with Sharks, where he made 80 appearances having made his way up through the ranks, playing in the Currie Cup aged 21 in 2013. His outstanding performances the following year meant that he was immediately recognised as a special talent and was called up to the Springbok squad, earning his first Test cap against Scotland at only 22 when he replaced Victor Matfield in a 55–6 win over Scotland in Port Elizabeth.
Luke Northmore (Centre) – Cardiff Met
Northmore, who can play at either 12 or 13, played his early rugby at Tavistock RFC, and has been a consistent performer for the university side for the past three years. He is a close friend of Harlequins’ breakout player this season Alex Dombrandt, with whom he played at Cardiff Met.
Glen Young (Lock) – Newcastle Falcons
Second row Young, who has represented Scotland U20s, has been with Newcastle since he played for their U18s in 2012/13. Two years later he broke into the First Team and represented his country’s U20 side seven times. He played the 2015/16 season on dual registration with Doncaster Knights and was named in the Championship Dream Team that season, having made the play-off final. Young made his Premiership debut the following season and played a big part in Newcastle’s Challenge Cup campaign.
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments