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.<\/p>\n
Harlequins confirm coaching ticket revamp<\/p>\n
PREM Rugby strugglers Harlequins<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n That was their sixth league setback in a row and ahead of next Saturday\u2019s PREM<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n According to the club statement<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n Deans will touch down in London in April before and officially starting in July. \u201cHe will spend extended periods here in the UK at critical points throughout the season,\u201d read a club statement. \u201cHe will be fully involved in the Harlequins rugby programme and will be engaged with us when not physically in the UK.\u201d<\/p>\n Picking a British and Irish Lions side for 2029 Test series against All Blacks based on Six Nations form<\/a><\/p>\n All Blacks: Dave Rennie names assistant coaches as Tana Umaga headlines four-man group<\/a><\/p>\n Deans, a serial trophy winner with the Crusaders who has continued in that vein in Japan with Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, said: \u201cHarlequins 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.\u201d<\/p>\n 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. \u201cThere\u2019s a significant amount of work to be done, but that\u2019s what makes this such an exciting opportunity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving 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.<\/p>\n \u201cTo our supporters, we genuinely appreciate the backing we have received through a tough year. We\u2019ll need that continued support, because returning Harlequins to where it belongs will take a collective effort \u2013 but it\u2019s one we\u2019re fully committed to.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the summer arrival of ex-Exeter stalwart Hunter as forwards coach will coincide with the exit of Booth as the club\u2019s forwards consultant. \u201cI\u2019m absolutely delighted to be joining Harlequins \u2013 it\u2019s a club with such a rich history and identity,\u201d said Hunter.<\/p>\n \u201cHarlequins has the perfect DNA for the modern game. The foundations are here and that genuinely excites me. Of course, there\u2019s real work ahead to bring all of that together and I\u2019m looking forward to working with the coaching team to do that. I\u2019m coming back into the PREM refreshed and hungry to make a difference.<\/p>\n Who\u2019s hot and who\u2019s not: \u2018Delicious demonstration\u2019 cooked up by Glasgow on weekend featuring worrying \u2018lack of bite\u2019 from Saracens and Munster<\/a><\/p>\n Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as\u00a0a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a>\u00a0for world-class coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n Harlequins CEO Laurie Dalrymple said: \u201cRobbie brings over 25 years of elite level coaching experience and a proven track record of building sustained success.<\/p>\n \u201cHe played an integral role in establishing the foundations of the Crusaders\u2019 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWe 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWe 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIn 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Confirming his departure from The Stoop, Booth said: \u201cI 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\u2019s progress from Hong Kong.\u201d<\/p>\n PREM Rugby Round 11: Five takeaways as \u2018two-tier competition\u2019 starts to form while Saracens begin to \u2018unravel\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n PREM Rugby Team of the Week: Six Nations stars \u2018hit the ground running\u2019 on club returns while Test hopeful \u2018edges his way up the pecking order\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Healy loaned to the PREM<\/p>\n Out-of-favour Scotland international Ben Healy has joined Newcastle Red Bulls<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Newcastle sporting general manager Neil McIlroy said: \u201cBen 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIn 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Healy added: \u201cI\u2019m excited to be playing in a new competition<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWorking with a legendary fly-half like Stephen Jones is also another big draw, and it\u2019s an exciting time to be involved with Newcastle, considering everything going on around Red Bull\u2019s investment at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Glasgow v Leinster: Five takeaways as \u2018good ticker\u2019 and \u2018worldie solo try\u2019 leave visitors on the \u2018naughty step\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n State of the Nation: Gregor Townsend critics forced to \u2018eat humble pie\u2019 despite Scotland\u2019s \u2018archetypical\u2019 campaign<\/a><\/p>\n Joker found for injured Gleeson<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n