URC transfers: Ins and outs at all 16 clubs ahead of the 2026/27 season
Joey Carbery returns to Leinster after stints at Munster and Bordeaux-Begles.
Ahead of the 2026/27 United Rugby Championship (URC) season, here’s a run-down of all of the ins and outs in terms of transfers at the 16 clubs.
There’s some standout arrivals and departures, including Joey Carbery’s return to Leinster while Wilco Louw makes the move from the Bulls to the Stormers, who are also bolstered by two other Springboks superstars, Siya Kolisi and Cheslin Kolbe, for the new campaign.
With the season kicking off on Friday, get up to date with the URC transfers here.
Benetton
Arrivals:
Louis Werchon (scrum-half, 23, from Reds)
Isaia Walker-Leawere (lock, 29, from Hurricanes)
Jean Smith (fly-half, 23, from Hollywoodbets Sharks)
Gonzalo Hughes (prop, 28, from Perigueux)
Matias Medrano (prop, 22, from Pampas XV)
Josh Flook (centre, 24, from Reds)
Francois Carlo May (full-back, 23, from Soyaux-Angouleme)
Departures:
Tommaso Menoncello (centre, 23, to Toulouse)
Malakai Fekitoa (centre, 34, to Beziers)
Eli Snyman (lock, 30, to Ulster)
Thomas Gallo (prop, 27, to Lyon)
Bulls
Arrivals:
Thaakir Abrahams (wing, 27, from Munster)
Luan Giliomee (full-back, 20, from Hollywoodbets Sharks)
Dylan Maart (wing, 29, from DHL Stormers)
Hanro Liebenberg (back-row, 30, from Leicester Tigers)
Curwin Bosch (full-back, 29, from Brive)
Departures:
Wilco Louw (prop, 31, to DHL Stormers)
Ruan Nortje (lock, 27, to Kubota Spears)
Johan Goosen (fly-half, 33, to retirement)
David Kriel (centre, 27, to La Rochelle)
Kurt-Lee Arendse (wing, 30, to Sagamihara)
Cardiff Rugby
Arrivals:
Scott Sio (prop, 34, from Exeter Chiefs)
Jarrod Evans (fly-half, 29, from Harlequins)
Le Roux Malan (centre, 27, from Hollywoodbets Sharks)
Semisi Paea (back-row, 27, from Moana Pasifika)
Departures:
Ben Donnell (back-row, 25, to Ulster)
Leigh Halfpenny (full-back, 37, to retirement)
Will Davies-King (prop, 27, to Bedford Blues)
Corey Domachowski (prop, 29, to Scarlets)
Connacht
Arrivals:
Francois Van Wyk (prop, 34, from Bath)
Jerry Cahir (prop, 25, from Leinster)
Will Connors (back-row, 30, from Leinster)
Ciaran Frawley (fly-half, 28, from Leinster)
Departures:
Joe Joyce (lock, 32, to Gloucester)
Matt Devine (scrum-half, 24, to Ulster)
Jack Carty (fly-half, 33, to retirement)
Jack Aungier (prop, 27, to Munster)
Peter Dooley (prop, 31, to Leinster)
Fionn Gibbons (centre, 24, to Ealing Trailfinders)
Dragons
Arrivals:
George Roberts (hooker, 28, from Doncaster Knights)
Terrell Peita (back-row, 26, from Blues)
Ere Enari (scrum-half, 29, from Hurricanes)
Anzelo Tuitavuki (wing, 27, from Colomiers)
Departures:
Aaron Wainwright (back-row, 28, to Leicester Tigers)
Ewan Rosser (wing, 25, to Pontypool)
Mackenzie Martin (back-row, 22, to Beziers)
Edinburgh
Arrivals:
Alec Hepburn (prop, 33, from Scarlets)
Louie Chapman (scrum-half, 26, from Crusaders)
James Grayson (fly-half, 28, from Sagamihara)
Riley Higgins (centre, 23, from Hurricanes)
Geordie Gwynn (centre, 22, from Ealing Trailfinders)
Departures:
Boan Venter (prop, 29, to Lions)
James Lang (centre, 31, to Harlequins)
Sam Skinner (back-row, 31, to TBC)
Angus Williams (prop, 32, to TBC)
Glasgow Warriors
Arrivals:
Jamie Ritchie (back-row, 29, from Perpignan)
Ruwald van der Merwe (back-row, 27, from Pumas)
Duncan Munn (centre, 23, North Eagles Brisbane)
Departures:
Huw Jones (centre, 32, to Toulon)
Jack Dempsey (back-row, 32, to Brave Lupus)
Johnny Matthews (hooker, 33, to Montauban)
Sione Vailanu (back-row, 31, to Biarritz)
Adam Hastings (fly-half, 29, to Montpellier)
Leinster
Arrivals:
Joey Carbery (fly-half, 30, from Bordeaux-Bègles)
Peter Dooley (prop, 31, from Connacht)
Departures:
Rieko Ioane (centre, 29, to Blues)
Luke McGrath (scrum-half, 33, to Perpignan)
Jerry Cahir (prop, 25, to Connacht)
Will Connors (back-row, 30, to Connacht)
Ciaran Frawley (fly-half, 28, to Connacht)
James Lowe (wing, 34, to Tokyo Sungoliath)
Lions
Arrivals:
Boan Venter (prop, 29, from Edinburgh)
Dan Kasende (wing, 31, from Ospreys)
Boeta Chamberlain (fly-half, 27, from Newcastle Red Bulls)
Asad Moos (scrum-half, 22, from DHL Stormers)
Departures:
Ruben Schoeman (lock, 30, to Narbonne)
Gianni Lombard (fly-half, 28, to Hollywoodbets Sharks)
Darrien Landsberg (lock, 27, to Hollywoodbets Sharks)
Franco Marais (hooker, 33, to retirement)
Munster
Arrivals:
Jack Aungier (prop, 27, from Connacht)
Kieran Brookes (prop, 35, from Perpignan)
Marnus van der Merwe (hooker, 29, from Scarlets)
Will Harrison (fly-half, 26, from Kintetsu Liners)
Departures:
John Ryan (prop, 37, to retirement)
Jean Kleyn (lock, 32, to Gloucester)
Thaakir Abrahams (wing, 27, to Vodacom Bulls)
Fionn Gibbons (centre, 24, to Ealing Trailfinders)
Ospreys
Arrivals:
Tom Rogers (wing, 27, from Scarlets)
Lalakai Foketi (centre, 31, from Chiefs)
Lawson Creighton (fly-half, 27, from Waratahs)
Dan John (centre, 24, from Exeter Chiefs)
Marika Koroibete (wing, 34, from Wild Knights)
Departures:
Dewi Lake (hooker, 27, to Gloucester)
James Fender (lock, 24, to Grenoble)
Jac Morgan (back-row, 26, to Gloucester)
Jack Walsh (fly-half, 26, to Montauban)
Phil Cokanasiga (centre, 24, to Gloucester)
Dan Kasende (wing, 31, to Lions)
Scarlets
Arrivals:
Corey Domachowski (prop, 29, from Cardiff Rugby)
Alex Groves (lock, 25, from DHL Stormers)
Cullen Grace (lock, 26, from Crusaders)
Josh McKee (hooker, 26, from Leinster)
Tom Allen (lock, 21, from Hurricanes)
Departures:
Marnus van der Merwe (hooker, 29, to Munster)
Tom Rogers (wing, 27, to Ospreys)
Jarrod Taylor (lock, 25, to Ealing Trailfinders)
Max Douglas (lock, 26, to Blue Revs)
Jake Ball (lock, 35, to retirement)
Alec Hepburn (prop, 33, to Edinburgh)
Sharks
Arrivals:
Ivan van Zyl (scrum-half, 31, from Saracens)
Thomas du Toit (prop, 31, from Bath)
Gianni Lombard (fly-half, 28, from Lions)
Darrien Landsberg (lock, 27, to Hollywoodbets Sharks)
Stephan Lewies (lock, 34, from Harlequins)
Departures:
Grant Williams (scrum-half, 29, to Kobelco Steelers)
Aphelele Fassi (full-back, 28, to Brave Lupus)
Siya Kolisi (back-row, 35, to DHL Stormers)
Jean Smith (fly-half, 23, to Benetton)
Francois Venter (centre, 35, to retirement)
Le Roux Malan (centre, 27, to Cardiff Rugby)
Luan Giliomee (full-back, 20, to Vodacom Bulls)
Stormers
Arrivals:
Wilco Louw (prop, 31, from Vodacom Bulls)
Siya Kolisi (back-row, 35, from Hollywoodbets Sharks)
Cheslin Kolbe (wing, 32, from Tokyo Sungoliath)
Departures:
Salmaan Moerat (lock, 28, to La Rochelle)
Dan du Plessis (centre, 31, to Bordeaux)
Dylan Maart (wing, 29, to Vodacom Bulls)
Corne Weilbach (prop, 24, to Saracens)
Ruben van Heerden (lock, 28, to Montpellier)
Siyabonga Ntubeni (hooker, 35, to retirement)
Asad Moos (scrum-half, 22, to Lions)
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Ulster
Arrivals:
Jamie Benson (fly-half, 23, from Harlequins)
Matt Devine (scrum-half, 24, from Connacht)
Eli Snyman (lock, 30, from Benetton)
Ben Donnell (back-row, 25, from Cardiff)
Departures:
Angus Bell (prop, 27, to Waratahs)
Werner Kok (wing, 33, to Newcastle Red Bulls)
Zebre Parma
Arrivals:
Jacopo Botturi (back-row, 22, from Petrarca Padova)
Francisco Minervino (hooker, 27, from Petrarca Padova)
Lorenzo Citton (scrum-half, 27, from Petrarca Padova)
Tommaso Allan (fly-half, 33, from Perpignan)
Patricio Baronio (scrum-half, 30, from Viadana)
Leonardo Sodo Migliori (wing, 22, from Fiamme Oro)
Departures:
Enrique Pieretto (prop, 31, to Agen)
Enrico Lucchin (centre, 31, to retirement)
Luca Morisi (centre, 35, to retirement)
Albert Batista (wing, 26, to Viadana)
Shilo Klein (hooker, 27, released)
Martin Roger Farias (fly-half, 28, released)
Gonzalo Garcia (scrum-half, 27, to Pau)
Malik Faissal (wing, 20, to Northampton Saints)
Iacopo Bianchi (back-row, 28, to Rovigo)
Guido Volpi (back-row, 30, to Viadana)
Ion Neculai (prop, 25, to Northampton Saints)
Giacomo Milano (back-row, 21, to Valorugby Emilia)
