Harlequins Planning For The Heineken ?

European Challenge Cup champions Harlequins announced Tuesday Wales winger Daffyd James and Munster’s Jeremy Staunton will join them for next
season.

James, capped 41 times, will leave the Celtic Warriors for a
two-year deal
with Quins and joins the alarming exodus of top class players out of
the
Principality since thye season finished.
The 28-year-old featured in all three test matches for the British
and
Irish Lions during their 2001 tour of Australia, having made his
Wales debut
against the Wallabies in 1996.

James joins Wales’s record try scorer Gareth Thomas and fly-half
Stephen
Jones, who signed for French clubs Toulouse and Montferrand
respectively.

Ireland international Jeremy Staunton will join James at The Stoop
next
season. The fly half, who can play at full back, is also on a
two-year
contract after leaving Munster.

Tight head prop Maurice Fitzgerald moves from French side Biarritz
and
22-year-old winger Joe Mbu has joined from Bath.
“We are delighted to welcome this group of players to the
Stoop,” said
Harlequins Chief Executive Mark Evans.
“They range from the experienced international in the form of
Dafydd James,
through to the exciting potential of Joe Mbu, as we look forward to
planning
what we hope will be another successful season, including our return
to the
European Cup. I’m confident all four will make a significant
contribution to
the squad.”

Quins are expecting to sign three futher players during the
pre-season.
As well as retiring England legend Jason Leonard, Bill Davison,
Rob Jewell,
Matt Moore, Scott Bemand, Ben Willis Laurent Gomez, Pat Sanderson,
Paul Burke
and Chris Bell are leaving the club.

England Rugby Limited (ERL) confirmed yesterday that
Worcester will definitely play in the
Premiership
next season. Rotherham will be replaced by the National League One champions,
following
the relegated side’s threat of a legal challenge.

Worcester’s promotion was ratified by the ERL board after a
meeting
Tuesday. The Midlands side met all the critiera for Premiership entry.

A final decision had been delayed while ERL sought advice
following
Rotherham’s threat.
Worcester failed to meet a March 31st deadline for satisfying
Premiership
criteria, Rotherham claimed.

But ambitious Worcester, who are backed by multi-millionaire Cecil
Duckworth, can now look forward to rubbing shoulders with the English
elite.

They had already stated their intent to not repeat Rotherham’s
relative
lack of ambition and desperate season where they failed to win a
match by
signing experienced French international centre Thomas Lombard on
Monday.

AFP – 2004.