WELSH RUGBY LEAGUE winger Regan Grace has turned down a contract extension offer from St Helens to sign for French rugby union side Racing 92.
Top 14 club Racing have also confirmed the major signing of France forward Cameron Woki from Bordeaux ahead of next season.
Racing will face Leinster in the Champions Cup pool stages next season.
25-year-old Wales league international Grace will link up with the Top 14 outfit at the end of the Super League domestic campaign.
The announcement ends considerable speculation over Grace’s future, with a number of English and Welsh clubs in the 15-man code having been linked with his services.
Grace played both league and union at youth level before opting to sign for St Helens at the age of 17. After making a try-scoring Super League debut against rivals Wigan in 2017, he has gone on to cross 86 times in 138 appearances for Saints.
His decision to move at the end of the Super League season means he will not be available to represent Wales in this year’s Rugby League World Cup.
Meanwhile, 23-year-old Woki will add proven Test-level quality to the Racing pack after signing a four-year contract with the Top 14 club.
Woki had a year left on his deal at Bordeaux but pushed to leave the club this summer in order to move to Racing.
Having previously been an outstanding back row, Woki has shone in the second row for France in recent times, helping Fabien Galthie’s side to a Grand Slam this year.
Woki and several other Bordeaux players were frustrated with head coach Christophe Urios’ criticism of their efforts in the media towards the end of the current club season and Woki will now make the move to Racing ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
Racing also confirmed the signing of Fijian wing Wame Naituvi from Mont de Marsan.
…someone please put up a clip of Ryan Bairds tackle on Michael Lowry…..a thing of beauty…. and you have to have played the game to appreciate how truly exceptional it was.
@Michael Murray: Couldn’t agree more!
I saw Josh’s face in the ruck where he got hurt. Didn’t think it looked good from his reaction. A big loss to any team, except maybe Leinster.. Penny comes in and Connors comes onto the bench. Ridiculous strength in depth.
@John Thomas: Connors won’t be on the bench with Doris back.
@John Thomas: Yeh… thought the same, also why did he play on?! We were well ahead and had Penny on the bench, VDF absolutely crucial for CC and URC knockout games
As long as Joy Neville isn’t TMO again it should be a good spectacle.
Poor performance, RB exposed again soon as forward dominance is gone and he has no space he is nullified. Furlong also has never been the same player since the back injury few seasons ago, just toddles into contact no gain line anymore. Baird might be a difference and if Jenkins can have a few big games but still fear Toulouse and La Rochelle.
@Liam Kelly: …
Not being pedantic but 2 RBs in squad…specifics will help those for whom the squad players are not household names.
@Liam Kelly: RB = Rob Balacoune?!?
@Liam Kelly: Yeap, that game did no favours at all for Balacoune’s World Cup selection.
@Dave Murray: I think that Balacoune had already blown his chance on the international stage- he just doesn’t seem to have the natural game awareness necessary for Ireland’s system. I am guessing that ‘game awareness’ is a major qualification for this a Ireland team – skill set and strength etc being a given – it is clearly a common attribute of the rising stars Keenan, Doris, Hansen, Sheehan and Gibson-Park.