All Black joins fallen French giants

TRANSFER NEWS: New Zealand centre Francis Saili has joined Biarritz on a two-year deal from Harlequins, the French second-tier club said on Sunday.

Saili, 29, who made his two All Blacks appearances in 2013, won the Junior World Cup nine years ago before spells with the Auckland Blues, Munster in Ireland and three campaigns with the English side.

The Basque outfit were relegated to the ProD2 eight years after winning the last of their five Top 14 titles in 2006.

In March, the club’s President Jean-Baptiste Aldige said an emergency general meeting about the financial future of the two-time European Cup runners up had been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

England back row forward Steffon Armitage and Canada loose forward Evan Olmstead are members of the squad who finished the season in seventh place after it was declared over last month due to COVID-19.