Guinness Pro 12 - Signings

There’s a large intake of new talent to next season’s Guiness Pro12, as teams look to catch up with last season’s flamboyant and all action winners, Connacht.

The league has struggled in recent years to attract the biggest crowds, most lucrative TV contracts, and crucially the best talent - but hopefully this is beginning to change. As new signings roll in, we’ve comprised the most notable figures, and of course their best highlight reels.

The Italians have been very busy, and Benetton Treviso will invite an exciting addition to the league, bringing in Marty Banks from Super Rugby’s Highlanders.

Italian fly-half Tommaso Allen will return home to Italy from Perpignan and along with Banks should solidify Treviso’s threat within their back line. We’re even more interested, however, in New Zealand 7’s player Kurt Baker coming to Zebre.

He spent four years at the Highlanders up until last year, but injury allowed him only 10 games for the club. He is electric.

Leinster have snatched Robbie Henshaw from league champions Connacht. Henshaw has nailed the Irish jersey to his back, and was integral to Connacht’s campaign last year but the dazzling lights of Irish Rugby’s favourite child was too much to keep him in Galway.

In exchange for the centre, Leinster have obliged Connacht with Cian Kelleher, who is a thrilling 21-year-old full-back with 9 appearances under his belt for the Ireland U20’s.

To keep it interesting though, Connacht are also bringing in fly-half Martinez Boshoff from the Lions in South Africa - where he scored 235 points in 30 games.

Ulster fans have been waiting patiently since signing All Black Charles Piatau, but he has finally arrived in Belfast to much fanfare. He spent his limbo year at Wasps tearing up the opposing wing to Christian Wade.

It wasn’t without suffering though, he missed out on the World Cup because New Zealand Rugby weren’t happy with his call to move up north. He brings one of the most exciting attacking skill sets in World Rugby to the Pro12.

Jonathan Davies will return home to the Scarlets after spending two years injured at Clermont Auvergne. He only won 24 caps and scored just 10 points, but when fit, he is one of the most lethal centres in European rugby.

Cardiff Blues will welcome Willis Halaholo, who can cause major damage in midfield. Accompanied by Nick Williams coming in from Ulster, Blue’s fans will need a ‘Your defence is terrified’ related chant.

Hooker Corey Flynn has played 42 games for Toulouse since moving north of the equator two years ago, and will now line up for Glasgow Warriors. He’ll be taking the Eurostar to Britain with Oyonnax’s Rory Clegg and Faraul’s Nemia Kenatale.

Kieron Fonotia will come to Ospreys from the Crusaders where he has only played 23 games since 2014, but he’s been a major figure in Tasman Makos ITM Cup campaigns in the last five years. He’ll add some crash power to the Ospreys centre line up.

Alas, while there are exciting additions to the league’s books, notable exitees include BJ Botha - who’s been released from Munster because of a knee injury. He played 111 games with the Limerick side and previously served with Ulster after coming from the Sharks in Super Rugby.

Meanwhile Ben Te’o goes in search of England caps, leaving Leinster for Worcester Warriors, and young Ireland international Ian Madigan will exchange Dublin’s rain for factor 50 sun cream in Bordeaux.

Luke Burgess, who came to Zebre last year following a star studded career with Australia, the Rebels and also Toulouse, is set to leave. The Italians will have to say goodbye to the 32-year-old as he calls time on his input into world rugby.

Young Rhodri Williams, a rising star for the Scarlets and Wales, will move on to newly promoted premiership club Bristol at the age of 23 as we see the English league going from strength to strength.

In the board room, Pro 12 chief Martin Anayi revealed plans to shake up the league in an interview with Wales Online.

The Pro12 clubs are making great headway in signing some big names, but may struggle against the wallets of the Galacticos in France and England. Even so, it’s exciting times for many Pro12 fans.

Written by Andrew McNair for www.TheRugbyPod.com