Australia prop Harry Johnson-Holmes has signed for Harlequins for the 2026/27 season, the headline move in a busy stretch of transfer activity that has seen Premiership clubs restock their forward packs and Super Rugby sides reshuffle their playmakers.
Johnson-Holmes, 29, joins the London club after seven seasons with the New South Wales Waratahs and a stint with the Western Force in Super Rugby Pacific. Capped once by the Wallabies, against South Africa in 2019, the loosehead can pack down on both sides of the scrum, and his move reunites him with Harlequins head coach Jason Gilmore, who worked with him at the Waratahs.
"Having worked with Jason before, I have great confidence that Harlequins is the perfect environment for me to continue developing my game," Johnson-Holmes said. "I've seen first-hand the impact he has on a playing group, and I can't wait to work with him again."
Gilmore pointed to the versatility the front-rower adds. "Harry is an experienced operator who brings quality and versatility to our front row," he said. "His ability to play on both sides of the scrum gives us valuable flexibility and depth, and his Super Rugby pedigree will no doubt add to our group."
Exeter Chiefs, meanwhile, have moved to shore up their second row with the signing of 23-year-old lock Obinna Nkwocha from Worcester Warriors. A Saracens Academy graduate who rebuilt his career in the Championship with Coventry, the 6ft 5in, 118kg forward is exactly the kind of project director of rugby Rob Baxter says he likes.
"It did not quite work out with Saracens, so he had to rebuild his career with Championship clubs. I really like that," Baxter said. "It's a great opportunity for him to come back into a Premiership environment and say, 'This is my time'."
Nkwocha said the detour through the second tier had sharpened him. "My time in the Championship has given me an opportunity to learn and develop my game over the past three seasons," he said. "This move fuels my ambition to reach the top. It's both a privilege and a challenge that I'm looking forward to."
Northampton Saints have gone younger still, confirming full-time deals for university trio James Bennett, Thomas Rowe and Ben Alexander after extended spells training with the squad. "James, Tom and Ben have all spent time in our environment this season, coming in whenever their university commitments allowed," Saints boss Phil Dowson said.
In the southern hemisphere, the Highlanders have landed Moana Pasifika and Tonga playmaker Patrick Pellegrini on a two-year deal from 2027, adding experience at fly-half to their backline. The Crusaders, meanwhile, are losing centre Aki Tuivailala and Antonio Shalfoon to Japan's Shizuoka Blue Revs.
The flurry underlines a familiar mid-year rhythm: as the Test window plays out, clubs on both sides of the equator lock in their squads for the seasons ahead, the Premiership chasing Super Rugby-hardened forwards, and New Zealand's franchises bracing for the steady pull of the Japanese market.
