Rugby Transfers: Harlequins confirm new coaching ticket includes ex-Wallabies boss, Newcastle bring in out-of-favour Scotland player, and Montpellier snap up title-winning medical joker
Harlequins have confirmed the recruitment of ex-Wallabies boss Robbie Deans while Ben Healy, inset, has switched from URC to the PREM
Harlequins have confirmed their coaching ticket for 2026/27, Newcastle have announced the loan signing of an out-of-favour Scotland international, while Montpellier have recruited a medical joker who was a Champions Cup title winner just last May with Bordeaux-Begles.
Harlequins confirm coaching ticket revamp
PREM Rugby strugglers Harlequins have announced a managerial revamp for next season, appointing ex-Wallabies boss Robbie Deans as performance director, Jason Gilmore as head coach, Rob Hunter as forwards coach and also confirming that the consultancy with Toby Booth will finish at the end of the current campaign.
The 2021 English champions have been in free-fall this season, a situation that began with Danny Wilson walking out as head coach to join Steve Tandy as a Wales national team assistant in September.
They are currently cut adrift in ninth place on the PREM table, having won just two of their 11 matches so far in a horrible campaign where the latest loss came last Saturday, a 26-19 home defeat to Gloucester.
That was their sixth league setback in a row and ahead of next Saturday’s PREM trip to Bristol, the revamp for the 2026/27 season has been announced. Ex-All Blacks assistant Deans will join the Harlequins board as performance director, initially until the end of the 2027/28 season.
According to the club statement, he will take a holistic view of the programme and work closely with new head coach Gilmore and general manager Andrew Sanger MBE to create an environment for long-term success in all departments across our performance programme, with a focus on playing identity, talent development and club culture.
Deans will touch down in London in April before and officially starting in July. “He will spend extended periods here in the UK at critical points throughout the season,” read a club statement. “He will be fully involved in the Harlequins rugby programme and will be engaged with us when not physically in the UK.”
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Deans, a serial trophy winner with the Crusaders who has continued in that vein in Japan with Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, said: “Harlequins is a proud club with a strong history and it is a privilege to be asked to contribute towards the future. There are many good people within their ranks, and I look forward to working with them.”
New head coach Gilmore is already working at Quins, having joined as defence coach in 2024 and stepping up on an interim basis to fill the void left by Wilson. “There’s a significant amount of work to be done, but that’s what makes this such an exciting opportunity,” he said.
“Having Robbie come on board is such a positive addition to our club. The guidance and support he will provide me personally as well as our coaching and playing group will be invaluable.
“To our supporters, we genuinely appreciate the backing we have received through a tough year. We’ll need that continued support, because returning Harlequins to where it belongs will take a collective effort – but it’s one we’re fully committed to.”
Meanwhile, the summer arrival of ex-Exeter stalwart Hunter as forwards coach will coincide with the exit of Booth as the club’s forwards consultant. “I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Harlequins – it’s a club with such a rich history and identity,” said Hunter.
“Harlequins has the perfect DNA for the modern game. The foundations are here and that genuinely excites me. Of course, there’s real work ahead to bring all of that together and I’m looking forward to working with the coaching team to do that. I’m coming back into the PREM refreshed and hungry to make a difference.
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Harlequins CEO Laurie Dalrymple said: “Robbie brings over 25 years of elite level coaching experience and a proven track record of building sustained success.
“He played an integral role in establishing the foundations of the Crusaders’ dominance in Super Rugby, has operated successfully at international level and, most recently, built the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan from the ground up.
“We are looking to his experience, aligned with Jason, who has been in the club for the past two seasons, that will be fundamental to driving an improvement in our on-field performances next season. Looking further ahead, Robbie is a specialist in high-performance strategy and structure required for long-term success and we believe he, alongside Jason as head coach, can make a lasting impact on our environment and results.
“We are also actively seeking an assistant defence coach to bolster his coaching group and allow Jason to focus on leading the squad, with support from Robbie and Andrew Sanger.
“In Rob, we are recruiting a coach with exceptional experience, and he is a proven winner. He will work closely with Matt Ferguson and Adam Jones to develop the promising young forwards coming through our player pathway.”
Confirming his departure from The Stoop, Booth said: “I jumped at the chance to come back, even just for a short spell. Despite the recent frustrations, I am sure the good times are just around the corner. I will enjoy watching the team’s progress from Hong Kong.”
Healy loaned to the PREM
Out-of-favour Scotland international Ben Healy has joined Newcastle Red Bulls on loan from Edinburgh until the end of this season. The fly-half, who can also play full-back, has been capped 10 times by Scotland.
Having originally made the breakthrough at Munster in his native Ireland, he switched to Edinburgh in 2023 but has fallen down the pecking order this season.
With seven matches left in the PREM and a Challenge Cup round of 16 match on the horizon against La Rochelle, Newcastle have now offered him a jumpstart to revive his career.
Newcastle sporting general manager Neil McIlroy said: “Ben is a quality addition who will greatly boost our playing pool between now and the end of the season. As well as providing injury cover for the likes of Ethan Grayson, he also gives us genuine competition at fly-half, and he will be available for selection straightaway.
“In addition to all the planning we are doing for the longer term, we are also fully committed to finishing the current campaign strongly, and having Ben on board will help us achieve that goal.”
Healy added: “I’m excited to be playing in a new competition, exposing myself to a different style of rugby. Gallagher PREM Rugby is a great production and it will be fantastic to be involved with that, having watched it so much over the years.
“Working with a legendary fly-half like Stephen Jones is also another big draw, and it’s an exciting time to be involved with Newcastle, considering everything going on around Red Bull’s investment at the moment.”
Joker found for injured Gleeson
Veteran flanker Mahamadou Diaby has joined Montpellier as a medical joker until the end of the Top 14 season in France. The 2025 Investec Champions Cup winner with Bordeaux joined Perpignan last summer, but he has now switched to Montpellier as cover for Langi Gleeson, their Australian back-rower who picked up a serious knee injury versus Ospreys in January.
According to L’Equipe, Montpellier had hoped to bring in the 35-year-old Diaby earlier than this week, but he was injured in Perpignan’s February 22 match with Pau. An agreement was reached last month to terminate his one-year deal with Perpignan, freeing him to join his new club ahead of this weekend’s Top 14 trip to Toulouse.
