A look at all the latest transfer rumours and confirmed moves from around the Gallagher PREM
TREVISO, ITALY – OCTOBER 11: Darrien Landsberg of Lions reacts during the United Rugby Championship match between Benetton Rugby and Lions at Stadio Monigo on October 11, 2025 in Treviso, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)
Most of the Gallagher PREM clubs are back in pre-season training now as preparations for the 2026/27 campaign get underway.
But directors of rugby up and down the country continue to put the final touches on their squads to be as competitive as possible when the league kicks off at the end of September. Here is a look at all the latest transfer rumours and confirmed moves from around the Gallagher PREM…
READ MORE: Rugby transfer rumours and news: Released Gloucester and Bath players find new clubs
Exeter Chiefs second row target turns down Devon move
Exeter Chiefs have missed out on signing Lions forward Darrien Landsberg, according to multiple reports with the versatile back five forward opting to join the Sharks instead.
Landsberg, who was strongly linked with a move to Devon, is reported to have joined the Durban-based outfit ahead of the Currie Cup and URC season.
The 26-year-old Zimbabwean comes in to replace Marvin Orie at the Sharks as he chases his ambitions to become a Springbok.
Saracens sign Tongan centre
Saracens have confirmed the signing of centre Sione Va’enuku ahead of the 2026/27 season.
The former Rugby League player enjoyed an outstanding campaign in the Champ Rugby league with Ampthill, producing a series of eye-catching performances that quickly established him as one of the division’s most exciting backs.
Va’enuku originally began his professional career in Rugby League with the Sydney Roosters before switching to Rugby Union after moving to the UK.
Kirill Gotovsev of Gloucester Rugby tackles Eliot Salt of Coventry Rugby during the Premiership Rugby Cup. (Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)
Gloucester Rugby add Championship performer in the frontrow
Gloucester Rugby have confirmed the signing of a second tighthead prop this summer, adding Coventry Rugby’s Eliot Salt ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Salt will step up from Champ Rugby, where he has established himself as a consistent and highly-rated front-row operator, having made 69 appearances over the past three seasons.
The Cherry and Whites have already signed Samoan international tighthead Marco Fepulea’i, with All Black Nepo Laulala departing Kingsholm this summer, and former Russian captain Kirill Gotovtsev hanging up his boots.
At 26-years-old, Salt arrives at a strong stage of his development, with significant senior experience already behind him and further potential to grow within the Gallagher PREM environment.
(Image: Getty Images)
Exeter Chiefs announce contract extension for powerful prop
Exeter Chiefs have confirmed that Georgia international tighthead Bachuki Tchumbadze has signed a new contract to stay at Sandy Park.
The 24-year-old has put pen to paper on an extension which will see him remain a Chief until 2028 – ahead of the return of his fellow countryman, Nika Abuladze, for the 2026/27 season.
Ryan Bower of Leicester Tigers looks on back in 2021 (Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)
Cherry and Whites set to appoint new scrum coach
Gloucester Rugby are set to add the final piece of their coaching puzzle after a summer of change, with reports the Leicester Tigers influence at Kingsholm is set to grow with the appointment of Ryan Bower as the club’s scrum coach.
As part of a widespread coaching shake-up announced in the Spring, Gloucester have brought in Brett Deacon as the club’s new forwards coach from Tigers. As a player, he was a teammate of Bower at Welford Road.
Former World Cup-winning prop Trevor Woodman, who was operating as the club’s scrum coach, was told his contract would not be renewed, with Gloucester using his salary to fund the newly created forwards role. Woodman, who helped mould a dominant scrumaging pack, has since taken up the same role at United Rugby Championship side Connacht.
But RugbyPass report the Cherry and Whites will bring in Bower to focus on the scrum.
Bower, still just 35, has been making preparations to become a coach for some time and has been working as the scrum and breakdown coach for Hartpury RFC, lead U17 coach for Hartpury College and contributing to the Gloucester academy training as well.
BATH, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 14: Will Roue of Bath Rugby during the PREM Rugby Cup match between Bath Rugby and Bristol Bears at The Recreation Ground on February 14, 2026 in Bath, England. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)(Image: Getty Images)
Bath Rugby to add to fly-half depth chart
Bath Rugby are reported to have signed fly-half Will Roue ahead of the 2026/27 season
Roue, who was the starting fly-half for the University of Bath BUCs Super Rugby winning side, has already made six senior appearances in the Blue, Black and White, all coming during the PREM Rugby Cup last year, including a start in the semi-final defeat to Leicester Tigers.
Roue came in with first choice fly-half Finn Russell away with Scotland on international duty, and with Santi Carreras given a five-week break during the Six Nations period due to the Argentina international being in action throughout the summer for the Pumas, leaving head of rugby Johann van Graan short of specialist options.
Roue’s deal with Bath has been announced by his representatives, The Rugby Agents, on Instagram.
Chris Vui of Bristol Bears (Photo: Ashley Crowden/JMP)
Banned former Bristol Bears
Former Bristol Bears forward Chris Vui says he is focusing on returning to rugby affter his ‘life has been on hold’ while he has unsuccessfully fought a positive doping test.
BristolLive exclusively revealed Vui, 33, has been handed a four-year ban from rugby after failing an out-of-competition drugs test in August, 2023. Vui was found to have elevated levels of 19-norandrosterone in his system, indicating use of the banned anabolic steroid nandrolone.
Vui has always insisted on his innocence, and his legal team contested the findings, claiming it was potentially caused by supplement contamination or something he ate. Separately, they also raised a number of procedural complaints about the testing process, particularly with his B sample of urine, which confirmed the initial findings by the WADA-lab.
However, both World Rugby’s Judicial Committee and the Court of Arbitration for Sport [CAS] upheld the ban. The committee ruled Vui’s supplement contamination claim was “too speculative and too lacking in hard evidence.
Vui said: “This has been a deeply challenging and unexpected experience that has effectively put my life on hold. One of the hardest realities is that, despite years of investigation and proceedings, I may never know for certain how this situation arose.
“For now, my focus is on returning to rugby next year and on what comes next as I continue to reflect on this chapter.”