Premiership transfers: Rugby ins and outs as 2019/20 resumes

The 2019/20 Premiership season resumes on Friday night more than five months after the sport was put on hold following the outbreak of coronavirus.

With rugby one of the last sports to return to our screens due to its close-contact nature, fans have been forced to sit and watch as the likes of football, cricket, boxing and Formula One resumed, but this weekend the first of nine remaining rounds will kick off in an effort to complete the season.

With all other leagues cancelled, all eyes will be on the Premiership - and for reasons than meet the eye. Despite the 2019/20 season continuing, a number of players have decided to move on, change clubs or retire, meaning squads are looking very different to how we left them in March.

A few can boast superstar signings, with Bristol, Sale Sharks and Gloucester all nabbing World Cup finalists during the temporary suspension, while others will look to just one or two additions in the hope of adding strength in depth to positions that lacked a little bit cover.

Saracens may already know their fate as relegation beckons, but they have already put together a squad prepared for the Championship, meaning they look very different to the one that was consigned to the drop earlier this year following their salary cap breaches in recent seasons.

Both Bristol and Sale meanwhile have attempted to seize their chance with the reigning champions dethroned by investing in quality, with Kyle Sinckler and Semi Radradra joining the Bears and Manu Tuilagi snapped up by Sale. Leicester were gutted to lose the centre after a pay dispute, but they will hope a summer of upheaval will result in a change of fortunes, while Gloucester will welcome Jonny May back with open arms after his Welford Road exit.

And with the 2020/21 campaign firmly on the horizon with its November start date pencilled in, squads will have a rare opportunity to bed in before challenging for the title all over again next term.

Here, we round up every in and out at each of the 12 Premiership clubs, plus promoted Newcastle Falcons who will join the league as soon as 2019/20 is completed.

Bath

Players in: Juan Schoeman (Sharks), Ben Spencer (Saracens), Will Spencer (Leicester Tigers).

Players out: Sam Nixon (Bayonne), Rhys Webb (Ospreys), Rhys Davies (Ospreys), Francois Louw (retired), Freddie Burns (Toyota Industries Shuttles), Chris Cook (Bristol Bears), Jackson Willison (Soyaux Angoulême), Alex Davies (Rosslyn Park), Jack Davies (Doncaster Knights), Levi Davis (Ealing Trailfinders), Matt Garvey (Gloucester), Tom Homer (London Irish), Aled Brew, Will Britton, Levi Douglas, Lucas Noguera Paz (all released).

Bristol Bears

Players in: Semi Radradra (Bordeaux-Begles), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), Mitch Eadie (Northampton), Ben Earl (loan from Saracens), Max Malins (loan from Saracens), Chris Cook (Bath), Ratu Naulogo (Hull FC), Bryan Byrne (Leinster).

Players out: Jordan Crane (retired), Aly Muldowney (retired), Mat Protheroe (Ospreys), Nicky Thomas (Ospreys), Ian Madigan (Ulster), Nic Stirzaker (Montauban), Lewis Thiede (Ealing Trailfinders), Shaun Malton (Ealing Trailfinders), Joe Batley (Worcester Warriors), Tom Lindsay (retired), Ollie Dawe (Jersey Reds), Sam Graham (Doncaster Knights), Luke Hamilton (Oyonnax), Luke Daniels (Ealing Trailfinders), Adrian Choat, Ryan Edwards, James Lay, Jordan Lay, Tom Kessell (all released).

Exeter Chiefs

Players in: Jonny Gray (Glasgow), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Lyon), Aaron Hinkley (Gloucester), Corey Baldwin (Scarlets), Josh Hodge (Newcastle Falcons), Jack Walsh (Manly Marlins), Facundo Cordero (Los Ceibos).

Players out: Nic White (Brumbies), Enrique Pieretto (Glasgow Warriors), Sam Hill (Sale Sharks), Matt Kvesic (Worcester Warriors), Josh Caulfield (Cornish Pirates), Max Bodily (Ealing Trailfinders), Greg Holmes (Western Force), James McRae (Cornish Pirates).

Gloucester

Players in: Jordy Reid (Ealing Trailfinders), Jack Singleton (loan from Saracens), Jonny May (Leicester Tigers), Matt Garvey (Bath), Logovi'i Mulipola (Newcastle Falcons), Matias Alemanno (Jaguares), Cameron Jordan (Leicester Tigers).

Players out: Callum Braley (Benetton), Aaron Hinkley (Exeter Chiefs), Simon Linsell (Ealing Trailfinders), Tom Marshall (NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Franco Marais (NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes), Owen Williams (NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes), Ruan Dreyer (Lions), Gerbrandt Grobler (Stade Francais), Josh Hohneck (Otago)

Harlequins

Players in: Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks), Wilco Louw (Stormers), Joe Gray (Saracens), Tyrone Green (Lions), Matas Jurevicius (London Scottish), Scott Steele (London Irish), Jordan Els (Ealing Trailfinders), Craig Trenier (Ealing Trailfinders), Mak Wilson (Southern Knights).

Players out: Nick Auterac (Northampton), Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears), Phil Swainston (Rouen), Francis Saili (Biarritz), Travis Ismaiel (Bulls), Toby Freeman (London Scottish), Semi Kunatani (Castres), Rob Buchanan (retired), Chris Robshaw (San Diego Legion), Vereniki Goneva (Stade Montois), Mark Lambert (retired), Max Crumpton (retired), Niall Saunders (retired), Gabriel Ibitoye (Agen), Harry Barlow, James Bourton, Lloyd Wheeldon, Luke James, Renaldo Bothma, Tom Penny (all released).

Leicester Tigers

Players in: Zack Henry (Nevers), Shalva Mamukashvili (Enisei), Nemani Nadolo (Montpellier), Cyle Brink (Lions), Oliver Chessum (Nottingham), Dan Kelly (Loughborough Students), Cameron Henderson (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Scott (Edinburgh), Blake Enever (Brumbies), Harry Potter (Rebels), David Williams (Nottingham), Matias Moroni (Jaguares), Kini Murimurivalu (La Rochelle), Kobus Van Wyk (Hurricanes), Luke Wallace (Coventry), Guy Porter (Brumbies), Jasper Wiese (Cheetahs), Ryan Bower (Worcester Warriors).

Players out: Sam Costelow (Scarlets), Jonny May (Gloucester), Guy Thompson (Ealing Trailfinders), Ifereimi Boladau (loan return to Nottingham), Gaston Cortes (Toronto Arrows), Andy Forsyth (loan return to Coventry), Rory Hughes (loan return to Glasgow), Sione Kalamafoni (Scarlets), EW Viljoen (Lions), Jimmy Stevens (retired), Jonah Holmes (Dragons), Will Spencer (Bath), Greg Bateman (released), Manu Tuilagi (Sale Sharks), Telusa Veainu (Stade Francais), Kyran Bungaroo, Sam Everleigh, Leo Gilliand, Owen Hills, Cameron Jordan, Keston Lines, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Joe Thomas, Adam Thompstone, Noel Reid, Kyle Eastmond (all released).

London Irish

Players in: Tom Homer (Bath), Charlton Kerr (England Sevens), Matt Cornish (Ealing Trailfinders), Ross Neal (2019/20 season only), Sebastian de Chaves (2019/20 season only), Rob Simmons (NSW Waratahs), Agustin Creevy (Jaguares).

Players out: Belgium Tuatagaloa (Rouen), Barney Maddison (Ealing Trailfinders), Will Partington (Hartpury College), Dave Porecki (Waratahs), Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi (Northampton Saints), Stephen Myler (Ospreys), Scott Steele (Harlequins), Tom Stephenson (Rosslyn Park), Franco van der Merwe, Pat Cilliers, Saia Fainga’a, Bryce Campbell, Aliveriti Veitokani, Sam Collingridge, Jack Beltcher, Finlay Rossiter (all released).

Newcastle Falcons

Players in: Matias Orlando (Jaguares), Marco Fuser (Benetton), Pete Lucock (Doncaster Knights), Mark Wilson (Sale Sharks - end of loan).

Players out: Simon Ozokwe (Ealing Trailfinders), Josh Hodge (Exeter Chiefs), Johnny Williams (Scarlets).

Northampton Saints

Players in: Nick Auterac (Harlequins), Tom James (Doncaster Knights), Nick Isiekwe (loan from Saracens), Shaun Abendorff (Aurillac), Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi (London Irish).

Players out: Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Mitch Eadie (Bristol Bears), Ben Franks (retired), Will Davis (Ealing Trailfinders), James Mitchell (Doncaster Knights), Michael van Vuuren (Ealing Trailfinders), Andy Symons (Vannes), Fraser Strachan (Ealing Trailfinders), Ben Glynn (loan end), Gordon Reid, Toby Trinder, Devante Onojaife (all released).

Sale Sharks

Players in: Sam Hill (Exeter Chiefs), Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers).

Players out: Rob Webber (retired), James Williams (Hartpury College), Matt Sturgess (Fylde), Joe Jones (Doncaster Knights), Ciaran Booth (Connacht), Mark Wilson (Newcastle – loan end), James Williams, Sam Dugdale, Teddy Leatherbarrow, Rouban Birch, Nic Dolly, Bryn Evans (all released).

Saracens

Players in: Aled Davies (Ospreys), Will Hooley (Bedford Blues), Harry Sloan (Ealing Trailfinders), Juan Pablo Socino (El Salvador), Janco Venter (Jersey Reds), Tim Swinson (unattached), Alec Carey (Jersey Reds)

Players out: Ben Spencer (Saracens), Ben Earl (loan to Bristol), Max Malins (loan to Bristol), Jack Singleton (loan to Gloucester), Joe Gray (Harlequins), Nick Isiekwe (loan to Northampton), George Kruis (Panasonic Wild Knights), Alex Goode (loan to NEC Green Rockets), Nick Tompkins (loan to Dragons), Liam Williams (Scarlets), Rhys Carre (Cardiff Blues), Will Skelton (La Rochelle), Alex Lozowski (loan to Montpellier), Matt Gallagher (Munster), Titi Lamositele (Montpellier), Richard Wigglesworth (at the end of the 2019/20 season), Brad Barritt (at the end of the 2019/20 season).

Wasps

Players in: Ryan Mills (Worcester Warriors), Myles Edwards (Oyonnoax).

Players out: Billy Searle (Worcester Warriors), Charlie Matthews (Kamaishi Seawaves), Ashley Johnson (Birmingham Moseley), Nizaam Carr (Bulls).

Worcester Warriors

Players in: Billy Searle (Wasps), Matt Kvesic (Exeter Chiefs), Joe Batley (Bristol Bears).

Players out: Luke Scully (Cardiff Blues), Joe Taufete’e (Lyon), Ryan Mills (Wasps), Jono Lance (Western Force).