List of 2014–15 Top 14 transfers explained

This is a list of player transfers involving Top14 teams between the end of the 2013–14 season and up to the 2014–15 season.

Bayonne

See main article: Aviron Bayonnais.

Players In

• Blair Stewart from Grenoble
• Giogi Jgenti from Perpignan
• Lukas Pointud from Tarbes
• Pelu Taele from Biarritz
• Thibault Visensang from Albi
• Benjamin Macome from Stade Français
• Lalakai Foketi from Melbourne Rebels

Players Out

• Guillaume Bernad to Oyonnax
• Julien Puricelli to Lyon
• Neemia Tialata to Toulouse
• Stephen Brett to Lyon
• Mathieu Bélie to Perpignan
• Victor Manukula to Béziers
• Pierre-Philippe Lafond to Montauban
• Abdellatif Boutaty to Pau
• Sam Gerber retired
• Manu Ahotaeiloa

Bordeaux

See main article: Union Bordeaux Bègles.

Players In

• Lionel Beauxis from Toulouse
• Francisco Gomez Kodela from Biarritz
• Julien Le Devedec from Brive
• Yann Lesgourgues from Biarritz
• Sébastien Taofifenua from Perpignan
• Bertrand Guiry from Perpignan
• Sofiane Guitoune from Perpignan
• Berend Botha from Mont-de-Marsan
• Paulin Riva from Auch

Players Out

• Jean-Charles Fidinde to Narbonne
• Silviu Florea retired
• Gauthier Gibouin to Montauban
• Nicolás Sánchez
• Cameron Treloar
• Aliki Fakaté retired
• Poutasi Luafutu to Brive
• Emmanuel Saubusse to Mont-de-Marsan
• Gilen Queheille to Tarbes
• Jean-Baptiste Lamotte to Tarbes
• Rafael Carballo
• Joaquin Tuculet
• Bruce Reihana retired

Brive

See main article: CA Brive.

Players In

• Damien Jourdain from Bourg-en-Bresse
• Thomas Acquier from Carcassonne
• Russlan Boukerou from Auch
• Peet Marais from
• Poutasi Luafutu from Bordeaux Bègles
• Nicolas Bézy from Grenoble
• Benito Masilevu from Fiji VII

Players Out

• Tamato Leupolu
• Victor Laval
• Julien Le Devedec to Bordeaux Bègles
• Apisai Naikatini
• Laurent Ferrères retired

Castres

See main article: Castres Olympique.

Players In

• Johnnie Beattie from Montpellier
• Julien Dumora from Lyon
• Paea Faʻanunu from Montpellier
• Yohan Montes from Toulouse
• Sitiveni Sivivatu from Clermont Auvergne
• Thomas Combezou from Montpellier

Players Out

• Paul Bonnefond to Lyon
• Antonie Claassen to Racing Métro
• Michael Coetzee
• Brice Dulin to Racing Métro
• Anton Peikrishvili to Racing Métro
• Julien Tomas to Stade Francais
• Seremaia Bai to Leicester Tigers
• Pedrie Wannenburg to Oyonnax
• Romain Teulet retired
• Pierre-Gilles Lakafia to France VII

Clermont

See main article: ASM Clermont Auvergne.

Players In

• Sébastien Vahaamahina from Perpignan^[1]
• Jonathan Davies from Scarlets^[2]
• John Ulugia from Bourg-en-Bresse^[3]
• Zac Guildford from Crusaders^[4]
• Nick Abendanon from Bath Rugby^[5]
• Pedro Bettencourt from Lusitanos XV^[6]
• Viktor Koleilishvili from Lyon^[7]
• Camille Lopez from Perpignan^[8]

Players Out

• Regan King to Scarlets^[9]
• Lee Byrne to Newport Gwent Dragons^[10]
• Sitiveni Sivivatu to Castres Olympique^[11]
• Benoit Cabello to Perpignan^[12]
• Nathan Hines to Sale Sharks^[13]
• Gerhard Vosloo to Toulon^[14]
• Elvis Vermeulen retired

Grenoble

See main article: FC Grenoble.

Players In

• Gio Aplon from Stormers
• Julien Brugnaut from Racing Métro
• Chris Farrell from Ulster^[15]
• Rory Grice from Waikato
• Charl McLeod from
• Ross Skeate from Agen
• Jackson Willison from Blues
• Jonathan Wisniewski from Racing Métro
• Paul Willemse from Blue Bulls
• Jono Owen from Queensland Reds

Players Out

• Olly Barkley to London Welsh
• Cédric Béal to Mont-de-Marsan
• Roland Bernard
• Vincent Campo to Pau
• Olivier Chaplain
• Rudi Coetzee
• Romain David to Dax
• Andrew Farley
• Altenstad Hulme
• Kenan Mutapcic
• Florian Ninard
• Flavien Nouhaillaguet
• Shane O'Leary to Connacht^{[16] [17]}
• Shaun Sowerby
• Blair Stewart to Bayonne
• Mathieu Lorée to Lyon

La Rochelle

See main article: Stade Rochelais.

Players In

• Alofa Alofa from Waratahs
• Romana Graham from Exeter Chiefs^[18]
• Jean-Marc Doussain from Toulouse
• Jone Qovu from Racing Métro

Players Out

Lyon

See main article: Lyon OU.

Players In

• Hoani Tui from Exeter Chiefs^[19]
• Emmanuel Felsina from Toulon
• Pierrick Gunther from Toulon
• Julien Puricelli from Bayonne
• Stephen Brett from Bayonne
• Paul Bonnefond from Montpellier
• Karim Ghezal from Racing Métro
• Fabrice Estebanez from Racing Métro
• Deon Fourie from Stormers
• Jerome Porical from Stade Français
• Mathieu Lorée from Grenoble
• Vincent Martin from Toulon
• George Smith from Suntory Sungoliath
• Masi Matadigo from Racing Métro

Players Out

Montpellier

See main article: Montpellier Hérault Rugby.

Players In

• Antoine Battut from Racing Métro
• Benjamin Fall from Racing Métro
• Teddy Iribaren from Tarbes
• Ben Mowen from Brumbies
• Akapusi Qera from Toulouse
• Samisoni Viriviri from Fiji VII
• Tom Donnelly from Blues
• Pat Cilliers from Stormers^[20]

Players Out

• Yoan Audrin to Racing Métro
• Johnnie Beattie to Castres
• Eric Escande to Toulon
• Paea Faʻanunu to Castres
• Mamuka Gorgodze to Toulon
• Paul Grant to Nottingham
• Jim Hamilton to Saracens^[21]
• Juan Figallo to Saracens^[21]
• JP du Plessis to ^[22]

Oyonnax

See main article: Oyonnax Rugby.

Players In

• Maurie Fa'asavalu from Harlequins^[23]
• Soane Tongaʻuiha from Racing Metro
• Pedrie Wannenburg from Castres Olympique
• Riaan Smit from Cheetahs

Players Out

• Lucas González Amorosino to Cardiff Blues

Racing Métro

See main article: Racing 92.

Players In

• Tomás Lavanini from Hindú
• Yoan Audrin from Montpellier
• Antonie Claassen from Castres
• Brice Dulin from Castres
• Anton Peikrishvili from Castres
• Teddy Thomas from Biarritz
• Casey Laulala from Munster^{[24] [25]}
• Luke Charteris from Perpignan
• Johan Goosen from Cheetahs

Players Out

• Antoine Battut to Montpellier
• Julien Brugnaut to Grenoble
• Benjamin Fall to Montpellier
• Karim Ghezal to Lyon
• Masi Matadigo to Lyon
• Jone Qovu to La Rochelle
• Jonathan Wisniewski to Grenoble
• Fabrice Estebanez to Lyon

Stade Français

See main article: Stade Français.

Players In

• Raphaël Lakafia from Biarritz
• Hugh Pyle from Melbourne Rebels
• Julien Tomas from Castres
• Krisnan Inu from Canterbury Bulldogs (NRL)

Players Out

Toulon

See main article: RC Toulonnais.

Players In

• Fabien Barcella from Biarritz
• Nicolas Durand from Perpignan
• Éric Escande from Montpellier
• Mamuka Gorgodze from Montpellier
• Guilhem Guirado from Perpignan
• Leigh Halfpenny from Cardiff Blues
• Juan Martín Hernández (free agent) (Short-term deal effective January 2015)^[26]
• James O'Connor from London Irish (Short-term deal)^[27]
• Romain Taofifenua from Perpignan
• Gerhard Vosloo from Clermont

Players Out

• Emmanuel Felsina to Lyon
• Pierrick Gunther to Lyon (on loan)
• Vincent Martin to Lyon
• Benjamin Noirot to Biarritz
• James O'Connor to Queensland Reds (from January 2015)^[28]
• Alexis Palisson to Toulouse
• Danie Rossouw retired
• Andrew Sheridan retired
• Joe van Niekerk retired
• Jonny Wilkinson retired

Toulouse

See main article: Stade Toulousain.

Players In

• Toby Flood from Leicester^[29]
• Corey Flynn from Crusaders
• Imanol Harinordoquy from Biarritz
• Alexis Palisson from Toulon
• Neemia Tialata from Bayonne

Players Out

• Jean-Pascal Barraque to La Rochelle
• Lionel Beauxis to Bordeaux-Bègles
• Jaba Bregvadze released
• Bastien Chalureau to Perpignan
• Yves Donguy to Oyonnax
• Hosea Gear to Honda Heat
• Antoine Guillamon to Oyonnax
• Alex Luatua to Oyonnax
• Pierre Maurens to Carcassonne
• Yohan Montes to Castres
• Jean-Bernard Pujol to Perpignan
• Akapusi Qera to Montpellier

See also

• List of 2014–15 Premiership Rugby transfers
• List of 2014–15 Pro12 transfers
• List of 2014–15 Super Rugby transfers
• List of 2014–15 RFU Championship transfers

Notes and References

1. News: Clermont sign highly rated second row forward Sebastien Vahaamahina from USA Perpignan . Planet Rugby . 31 October 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140202140913/http://www.planetrugby.co.uk/story/0%2C25883%2C9818_9000417%2C00.html . 2 February 2014 .
2. News: Wales centre Jonathan Davies sign for Clermont Auvergne. BBC Sport. 12 November 2013.
3. News: Wallabie hooker John Ulugia signs for Clermont Auvergne. Sydney Morning Herald. 17 December 2013.
4. News: Clermont Auvergne sign All Black winger Zac Guildford from Crusaders. Sydney Morning Herald. January 2014.
5. News: Bath full-back Nick Abendanon agree Clermont Auvergne move. BBC Sport. 3 February 2014.
6. News: Clermont Auvergne sign Portuguese international Pedro Bettencourt. Publico.pt. 15 April 2014. pt.
7. News: Clermont Auvergne sign Lyon flanker Viktor Koleilishvili. Lamontagne.fr. 17 April 2014. fr.
8. News: Clermont Auvergne sign France and USA Perpignan fly-half Camille Lopez. Le Rugby Nistere.fr. 5 May 2014. fr.
9. News: All Black centre Regan King resigns for Scarlets. BBC Sport. 4 December 2013.
10. News: Newport Gwent Dragons sign Wales' Lee Byrne and Aled Brew. BBC Sport. 8 January 2014.
11. News: Castres Olympique sign All Black star Sitiveni Sivivatu. ESPN scrum. 10 January 2014.
12. News: Clermont Auvergne hooker Beniot Cabello joins USA Perpignan next season. Bein Sports. 17 January 2014. fr.
13. News: Sale Sharks sign Scotland lock Nathan Hines from Clermont Auvergne. BBC Sport. 20 January 2014.
14. News: Toulon sign Clermont Auvergne back-row Gerhard Vosloo. ESPN scrum. 17 March 2013.
15. http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/rugby/chris-farrell-to-leave-ulster-for-french-pastures-1-5907771 Chris Farrell to leave Ulster for French pastures – Belfast Newsletter
16. Web site: Connacht sign Ian Porter and Shane O'Leary . RTÉ Sport . 1 May 2014. 1 May 2014.
17. Web site: Q&A Session with Shane O'Leary Ballina Killaloe Rugby Club. ballinakillaloerfc.com. 15 June 2014.
18. News: Exeter Chiefs lock Romana Graham joins French side La Rochelle. BBC Sport. 10 February 2014.
19. News: Exeter Chiefs prop Hoani Tui to join French side Lyon. BBC Sport. 8 January 2014.
20. Web site: Rugby / Montpellier : Tom Donnelly est arrivé.
21. News: Saracens' three new signings. BBC Sport. 28 May 2014.
22. Web site: Cheetahs sign Du Plessis . SuperSport . 9 July 2014 . 9 July 2014.
23. News: Oyonnax sign Harlequins' Samoan back-row Maurie Fa'asavalu . Planet Rugby . 7 May 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140515000657/http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0%2C25883%2C3551_9301297%2C00.html . 15 May 2014 .
24. Web site: Laulala Move Confirmed . 15 December 2013 . munsterrugby.ie . 16 December 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131216043833/http://www.munsterrugby.ie/news/12656.php . 16 December 2013 .
25. Web site: Laulala honour shows Munster new boy size of boots to fill . Irish Examiner . 6 May 2014 . 6 May 2014. O'Brien, Brendan.
26. News: Toulon bring in 'El Mago' Hernandez . ESPN Scrum . 15 September 2014 . 15 September 2014.
27. News: Australian full back James O'Connor leaves London Irish for top French side Toulon. BBC Sport. 6 February 2014.
28. News: James O'Connor: 'I understand rugby better now' . ESPN Scrum . 28 December 2014 . 31 December 2014.
29. News: Toulouse sign England and Leicester Tigers fly-half Toby Flood. BBC Sport. 14 March 2014.