Top 14: South Africans on the move

The French Top 14 competition gets underway this coming weekend and, as usual, there has been plenty of player movement in the off-season.

Here are the Top 14 transfers ahead of start of the season on Friday:

Bayonne

Coming in: Patricio Noriega (Australia/manager/Stade Français), Giorgi Jgenti (Georgia/Perpignan), Lucas Pointud (Tarbes), Blair Stewart (New Zealand/Grenoble), Pelu Taele (Samoa/Biarritz), Thibault Visensang (Albi), Rob Linde (South Africa/lineout coach)

Going out: Stephen Brett (New Zealand/Lyon), Mathieu Belie (Perpignan), Manu Ahotaeiloa (Tonga/Lille), Sam Gerber (South Africa/retired), Guillaume Bernad (Oyonnax), Julien Puricelli (Lyon), Abdellatif Boutaty (Morocco/Pau), Neemia Tialata (New Zealand/Toulouse), Pierre-Philippe Lafond (coach Montauban), Vitolio Manukula (Beziers)

Bordeaux-Begles

Coming in: Sofiane Guitoune (Perpignan), Sebastien Taofifenua (Perpignan), Bertrand Guiry (Perpignan), Julien Ledevedec (Brive), Lionel Beauxis (Toulouse), Yann Lesgourgues (Biarritz), Francisco Gomez Kodela (Argentina/Biarritz), Berend Botha (South Africa/Mont-de-Marsan)

Going out: Poutasi Luafutu (Australia/Brive), Alikisio Fakaté (retired), Gilen Queheille (Tarbes/loan), Robert Lilomaiava (Samoa/Massy/loan), Bruce Reihana (New Zealand/retired), Rafael Carballo (Argentina), Nicolas Sanchez (Argentina), Emmanuel Saubusse (Mont-de-Marsan), Gautier Gibouin (Montauban), Cameron Treloar (Australia/retired), Silviu Florea (Romania/retired), Jean-Baptiste Lamotte (Tarbes), Jean-Charles Fidinde (Narbonne)

Brive

Coming in: Damien Jourdain (Bourg-en-Bresse), Thomas Acquier (Carcassonne), Russlan Boukerou (Auch), Peet Marais (South Africa/Natal Sharks), Marco Lazzaroni (Italy/Mogliano), Poutasi Luafutu (Australia/Bordeaux-Begles), Nicolas Bezy (Grenoble), Paul Ah Him (Samoa/Marist College/USA), Benito Masilevu (Fiji/Fiji VII)

Going out: Victor Laval (Carcassonne) Tamato Leupolu (Samoa/no club) Julien Le Devedec (Bordeaux-Begles), Laurent Ferreres (Lormont)

Castres

Coming in: Johnnie Beattie (SCO/Montpellier), Thomas Combezou (Montpellier), Julien Dumora (Lyon), Antoine Dupont (Auch), Paea Fa'anunu (New Zealand/Montpellier), Yohan Montes (Toulouse), Sitiveni Sivivatu (Fiji/Clermont)

Going out: Seremaïa Baï (Fiji/Leicester), Paul Bonnefond (Lyon), Antonie Claassen (Racing-Metro), Michael Coetzee (South Africa/no club), Brice Dulin (Racing-Metro), Pierre-Gilles Lakafia (VII), Anton Peikrishvili (Georgia/no club), Romain Teulet (retired), Julien Tomas (Stade Francais), Pedrie Wannenburg (South Africa/Oyonnax)

Clermont

Coming in: Jono Gibbes (coach New Zealand/Leinster/Ireland), Nick Abendanon (England/Bath), Jonathan Davies (Wales/Llanelli), Zac Guildford (New Zealand/Crusaders), Camille Lopez (Perpignan), John Ulugia (Australia/Bourg-en-Bresse), Sebastien Vahaamahina (Perpignan)

Going out: Vern Cotter (coach New Zealand/SCO), Benoit Cabello (Perpignan), Nathan Hines (Scotland/Sale/ENG), Arthur Roulin (Aurillac), Elvis Vermeulen (retired), Gerhard Vosloo (South Africa/Toulon), Regan King (New Zealand/Llanelli/WAL), Sitiveni Sivivatu (Fiji/Castres), Lee Byrne (Wales/Newport)

Grenoble

Coming in: Gio Aplon (South Africa/Stormers), Jonathan Wisniewski (Racing-Metro), Chris Farrell (Ireland/Ulster), Arnaud Héguy (Biarritz), Jackson Willison (New Zealand/Auckland Blues), Xavier Mignot (Bourgoin), Charl McLeod (South Africa/Sharks), Mahamadou Diaby (Oyonnax), Rory Grice (New Zealand/Waikato), Rémy Hugues (Dax), Ross Skeate (South Africa/Agen), Jono Owen (New Zealand/Queensland Reds), Dylan Hayes (New Zealand/Old Boys Marist), Paul Willemse (South Africa/Bulls).

Going out: Shaun Sowerby (South Africa, retired), Blair Stewart (New Zealand/Bayonne), Franck Corrihons (coach), Olly Barkley (England/Scarlets), Matthieu Nicolas (no club), Vincent Campo (Pau), Kenan Mutapcic (BIH/Nevers), Romain David (Dax), Eudi Coetzee (South Africa/retired), Rida Jaouher (retired), Cyril Veyret (Tarbes), Andrew Farley (Australia/retired), Shane O'Leary (Ireland/Connacht), Nicolas Bezy (Brive), Mathieu Loree (Lyon), Cedric Beal (Mont-de-Marsan), Altestadt Hulme (Saint-Nazaire), Florian Lescadieu (Aix-en-Provence), Roland Bernard (South Africa/Libourne), Dan Palmer (Australia/retired), Gregory Fabro (Aurillac), Olivier Chaplain (Massy)

La Rochelle

Coming in: Romana Graham (New Zealand/Exeter Chiefs/ENG), Jason Eaton (New Zealand/NTT Shinning/JPN), Benoît Guyot (Biarritz), Jone Qovu (Fiji/Racing-Metro), Peter Grant (South Africa/Stormers/RSA), Jean-Pascal Barraque (Toulouse), Alofa Alofa (Australia/Warathas/Australia), Vincent Pelo (Bourgoin), Thomas Synaeghel (Biarritz), Benoit Bourrust (Cardiff Blues/WAL)

Going out: Stephane Clement (Biarritz), Franck Jacob (retired), Thomas Soucaze (Niort), Clement Marienval (Biarritz), Maxime Le Bourhis (Oyonnax), Christophe Lafoy (Albi), Francois Herry (Albi/loan), Jason Marshall (CAN/Hawkes Bay/New Zealand), Gaetan Guyon (Perpignan), Johannes Wessels (South Africa), Pierre Santallier (Macon)

Lyon

Coming in: Paul Bonnefond (Castres), Stephen Brett (New Zealand/Bayonne), Mickaal De Marco (Montpellier/loan), Fabrice Estebanez (Racing-Metro), Emmanuel Felsina (Toulon), Deon Fourie (South Africa/Stormers), Karim Ghezal (Racing-Metro), Pierrick Gunther (Toulon/loan), Mathieu Loree (Grenoble), Charles Malet (Narbonne), Vincent Martin (Toulon), Sakiusa Matadigo (Fiji/Racing-Metro), Jerome Porical (Stade Francais), Julien Puricelli (Bayonne), George Smith (Australia/Suntory/JPN), Hoani Tui (New Zealand/Exeter/ENG), Horatiu Pungea (ROM/Llanelli/WAL)

Going out: Juan Manuel Leguizamon (retired), Willy Ambaka (retired), Nicolas Bontinck (retired), Thomas Bordes (Mont-de-Marsan), Jerome Bosviel(Bourgoin), Sebastien Chabal (retired), Arthur Dentressangle (Carcassonne), Julien Dumora (Castres), Alipate Fatafehi (Colomiers), Xavier Fiard (retired), Sven Holtzinger (Bourgoin), Jean-Etienne Dimitri (Rodez), Viktor Kolelishvili (Clermont), Jean Sousa (Bourgoin), Laurent Tranier (Angouleme), Nicolas Bergallo (Tarbes), Vinaya Wakanivuga (retired)

Montpellier

Coming in: David Attoub (Stade Francais), Chris King (New Zealand/Highlanders), Patric Cilliers (South Africa/Stormers), Nahuel Lobo (Argentina/Pampas XV), Tom Donnelly (New Zealand/Auckland Blues), Antoine Battut (Racing-Metro), Ben Mowen (Australia/Brumbies),Akapusi Qera (Fiji/Toulouse), Teddy Iribaren (Tarbes), Benjamin Fall (Racing-Metro), Samisoni Viriviri (Fiji)

Going out: Juan Figallo (Argentina/Saracens/ENG), Mickael De Marco (Lyon/loan), Jim Hamilton (SCO/Saracens/ENG), Johnnie Beattie (Scotland/Castres), Mamuka Gorgodze (Georgia/Toulon), Eric Escande (Toulon), Thomas Combezou (Castres/loan), Hamish Gard (New Zealand/La Rochelle), Ilian Perraux (Dax/loan), Yoan Audrin (Racing-Metro), JP Du Plessis (South Africa/Cheetahs), Paul Grant (South Africa,Nottingham/ENG), Paea Fa'anunu (New Zealand/Castres), Barry Faamausili (New Zealand)

Oyonnax

Coming in: Guillaume Bernad (Bayonne), Olivier Missoup (Stade Francais), Maurie Fa'Asavalu (Samoa/Harlequins/ENG), Riaan Smit(South Africa/Cheetahs), Pedrie Wannenburg (South Africa/Castres), Yves Donguy (Toulouse), Soane Tonga'uiha (Tonga/Racing-Metro), Julien Clement (Clermont), Yohan Domenech (Narbonne), Maxime Le Bourhis (La Rochelle), Leon Power (Australia/Brumbies)

Going out: Salim Tebani (retired), Nemia Soqeta (New Zealand/Biarritz), Chad Slade (Samoa/Bourg-en-Bresse), Joe El Abd (England/retired), Scott Newlands (SCO/Carcassonne), Johann Authier (retired), Conrad Barnard (South Africa/retired), Jonathan Traini (Macon), Samu Wara (Fiji), Tikiko Koroivoutu (Fiji), Jonathan Bousquet (Perpignan), Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino (Argentina), Mahamadou Diaby (Grenoble), Erwan Iapteff (Massy)

Racing-Metro

Coming in: Luke Charteris (Wales/Perpignan), Antonie Claassen (Castres), Thibault Dubarry (Biarritz), Johannes Goosen (South Africa/Cheetahs), Yoan Audrin (Montpellier), Casey Laulala (New Zealand/Munster), Teddy Thomas (Biarritz), Brice Dulin (Castres)

Going out: Juan Martin Hernandez (Argentina/no club), Virimi Vakatawa (France VII), Benjamin Fall (Montpellier), Fabrice Estebanez (Lyon), Jonathan Wisniewski (Grenoble), Antoine Battut (Montpellier), Masi Matadigo (Fiji/Lyon), Karim Ghezal (Lyon), Jone Qovu (Fiji/La Rochelle), Soane Tonga'uiha (Tonga/Oyonnax)

Stade Francais

Coming in: Sofiane Chellat (Rodez), Adrien Oléon (Clermont), Hugh Pyle (Australia/Melbourne Rebels), Raphael Lakafia (Biarritz), Julien Tomas (Castres), Krisnan Inu (New Zealand/Canterbury Bulldogs)

Going out: Jerome Porical (Lyon), Andrea Cocagi (Fiji/Tarbes), Olivier Missoup (Oyonnax), Anton Van Zyl (South Africa/retired), Benjamin Chabert (Cognac), Michael Van Vuuren (South Africa/Eastern Province Kings), David Attoub (Montpellier)

Toulon

Coming in: Fabien Barcella (Biarritz), Guilhem Guirado (Perpignan), Karim Bougherara (Pau), Alexandre Menini (Biarritz), Romain Taofifenua (Perpignan), Andy Cramond (SCO/Edinburgh), Mamuka Gorgodze (Georgia/Montpellier), Gerhard Vosloo (South Africa/Clermont), Eric Escande (Montpellier), Nicolas Durand (Perpignan), Jimmy Yobo (Aurillac), James O'Connor (Australia/London Irish), Ulupano Seuteni (Australia/Reds), Leigh Halfpenny (Wales/Cardiff), Paul Stridgeon (England/trainer)

Going out: Emmanuel Felsina (Lyon), Benjamin Noirot (Biarritz), Danie Rossouw (South Africa/retired), Joe Van Niekerk (South Africa/retired), Pierrick Gunther (Lyon/loan), Jonny Wilkinson (England/retired), Alexis Palisson (Toulouse), Vincent Martin (Lyon), Steve Walsh (trainer/ENG/London Irish)

Toulouse

Coming in: Toby Flood (England/Leicester), Corey Flynn (New Zealand/Crusaders), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), Alexis Palisson (Toulon), Neemia Tialata (New Zealand/Bayonne)

Going out: Jean-Pascal Barraque (La Rochelle), Lionel Beauxis (Bordeaux), Bastien Chalureau (Perpignan), Yves Donguy (Oyonnax), Antoine Guillamon (Oyonnax), Yohan Montes (Castres)

Source: AFP