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Saffers galore in French Top 14

Cape Town - Several South African players will feature in the 2015/16 French Top 14.

Here are the major comings and goings ahead of new French Top 14 season which gets underway on Friday (SA players in bold):

Agen

Ins: Ruaan Du Preez (RSA/Oyonnax), Dave Ryan (IRL/Ulster), Tom Murday (AUS/Northland), Api Naikatini (FIJ/Wellington Lions), Bautista Guemes (ARG/Benetton Treviso/ITA), Eroni Narumasa (FIJ/Nadroga), Johann Sadie (RSA/Cheetahs), George Tilsley (NZL/Wellington Lions), Tom Murday (AUS/Reds)

Outs: Aidan Toua (AUS/Brumbies)

Bordeaux-Begles

Ins: Emile Ntamack (backs coach), Loann Goujon (La Rochelle), Luke Braid (NZL/Blues), Adam Ashley-Cooper (AUS/Waratahs), Jean-Marcellin Buttin (Clermont), Sekope Kepu (AUS/Waratahs), Steven Kitshoff (RSA/Stormers)

Outs: Taiasina Tuifua (SAM/Lyon), Matthew Graham (NZL), Zaza Navrozashvili (GEO/Lyon), Benjamin Sa (NZL/retired), Ben Venter (RSA/Montauban), Jayden Spence (NZL/Highlanders), Ulrich Beyers (RSA/Zebre)

Brive

Ins: Saimone Taumoepeau (SAM/Castres), Johan Snyman (RSA/Scarlets), William Whetton (NZL/Castres), Wilhelm Steenkamp (RSA/Western Force)

Outs: Pat Barnard (RSA/retired), Johannes Coetzee (RSA), Tjiuee Uanivi (NAM/Worcester/ENG), Kieran Murphy (IRL/London Welsh), Riaan Swanepoel (RSA/Aix-en-Provence), Venione Voretamaya (FIJ/Colomiers)

Castres

Ins: Antoine Tichit (Oyonnax), Benjamin Urdapilleta (ARG/Oyonnax), David Smith (NZL/Toulon), Rudi Wulf (NZL/Toulon), Alex Tulou (NZL/Montpellier), Eric Sione (NZL/Hurricanes), Lucas Martinez (ARG/Lomas Club)

Outs: Remi Tales (Racing Metro), Paea Fa'anunu (NZL/Grenoble), Saimone Taumoepeau (TGA/Brive), Jannie Bornman (RSA/Aix-en-Provence), Max Evans (SCO/end of contract), William Whetton (NZL/Brive), Marcel Garvey (ENG/retired)

Clermont

Ins: Iuri Natriashvili (GEO/Tulle), Flip Van Der Merwe (RSA/Bulls), Camille Gerondeau (Racing Metro), Albert Vulivuli (FIJ/La Rochelle), Hosea Gear (NZL/Chiefs), Adrien Plante (Racing Metro), David Strettle (ENG/Saracens), Scott Spedding (RSA/Bayonne).

Outs: Ti'i Paulo (SAM/Lyon), Julien Pierre (Pau), Julien Bonnaire (Lyon), Mike Delany (NZL/Newcastle), Zac Guilford (NZL/Hawke's Bay), Julien Malzieu (Montpellier), Napolioni Nalaga (FIJ/Lyon), Jean-Marcellin Buttin (Bordeaux Begles).

Grenoble

Ins: Fabrice Estebanez (Lyon), Steven Setephano (NZL/Osaka), Alisona Taumalolo (TGA/Racing Metro), James Percival (ENG/Worcester)

Outs: Ross Skeate (RSA/Aix-en-Provence), Paul Willemse (RSA/Montpellier), Jono Owen (NZL/end of contract), Valentin Courrent (retired), Julien Caminati (Toulon), Albertus Buckle (RSA/Lyon/Pro D2), Naude Beukes (RSA/retired)

La Rochelle

Ins: David Roumieu (Bayonne), Ricky Januarie (RSA/Lyon), Zack Holmes (AUS/Western Force), David Raikuna (NZL/North Harbour), Benjamin Lapeyre (Racing Metro)

Outs: Rassie Van Vuuren (RSA/Bayonne), Cobus Grobler (RSA/retired), Loann Goujon (Bordeaux-Begles), Sireli Bobo (FIJ/Toulon), Peter Grant (RSA/Western Force), Albert Vuli Vuli (FIJ/Clermont), Gonzalo Canale (ITA/retired)

Montpellier

Ins: Jannie Du Plessis (RSA/Sharks), Bismarck Du Plessis (RSA/Sharks), Schalk Van der Merwe (RSA/Lions), Paul Willemse (RSA/Grenoble), Jacques Du Plessis (RSA/Bulls), Wiaan Liebenberg (RSA/Bulls), Pierre Spies (RSA/Bulls), Nic White (AUS/Brumbies), Cameron Wright (RSA/Sharks), Demetri Catrakilis (RSA/Stormers), Julien Malzieu (Clermont), Marvin O'Connor (Bayonne), Seveci Nakailagi (FIJ), Frans Steyn (RSA/Sharks), Jessie Mogg (AUS/Brumbies), Abdelatif Benazzi (manager), Craig Burden (RSA/Toulon), Bees Roux (RSA/Cheetahs), Andrew Smith (AUS/Munster), Jacobie Adriaanse (RSA/Scarlets), CJ Van Der Linde (RSA/Eastern Province Kings).

Outs: David Attoub (Lyon), Rene Ranger (NZL/Auckland Blues), Wynand Olivier (RSA/end of contract), Jonathan Pelissie (Toulon), Alex Tulou (SAM/Castres), Maximiliano Bustos (ARG/retired), Na'ama Leleimalefaga (SAM/Worcester), Chris King (NZL/Pau)

Oyonnax

Ins: Uwanakoro Tawalo (FIJ/Clermont), Fetu'u Vainikolo (TGA/Exeter), Eamonn Sheridan (IRL/London Irish), Nicky Robinson (WAL/Bristol), Piri Weepu (NZL/Wasps), George Robson (ENG/Harlequins), Stan Wright (NZL/Narbonne).

Outs: Christophe Urios (Castres/coach), Augustin Figuerola (ARG/Lyon), Benjamin Urdapilleta (ARG/Castres), Ruann Du Preez (RSA/Agen), Johnny Ngauamo (TGA/Mont-de-Marsan), Alexander Luatua (NZL/Aurillac), Hemani Paea (TGA/Lyon).

Pau

Ins: Mosese Ratuvou (FIJ/Lyon), Watisoni Votu (FIJ/Perpignan), Conrad Smith (NZL/Hurricanes), Colin Slade (NZL/Crusaders), Santiago Fernandez (ARG/Bayonne), Sean Dougall (IRL/Munster), Paddy Butler (IRL/Munster), Julien Pierre (Clermont), Euan Murray (SCO/Glasgow), Chris King (NZL/Montpellier).

Racing-Metro

Ins: Manuel Carizza (ARG/Stormers), Dan Carter (NZL/Crusaders), Martin Castrogiovanni (ITA/Toulon), Ross Filipo (NZL/Chiefs), Chris Masoe (NZL/Toulon), Nicolas Mirande (ARG/Tucuman), Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse), Remi Tales (Castres), Joe Rokocoko (NZL/Bayonne), Ben Tameifuna (NZL/Chiefs), Armand van der Merwe (RSA/Lions)

Outs: Jacques Cronje (RSA/retired), Benjamin Lapeyre (La Rochelle), Tomas Lavanini (ARG/Argentinian side for Super Rugby), Dan Lydiate (WAL/Ospreys), Brian Mujati (RSA/Sale/ENG), Adrien Plante (Clermont), Jamie Roberts (WAL/Harlequins), Jonathan Sexton (IRL/Leinster), Alisona Taumalolo (TGA/Grenoble)

Stade Francais

Ins: Willem Alberts (RSA/Sharks), Paul Alo-Emile (AUS/Rebels), Will Genia (AUS/Reds), Avenisi Vasuinubu (FIJ/Colomiers)

Outs: Jerome Fillol (retired), Krisnan Inu (NZL/Catalans Dragons - rugby league), Digby Ioane (AUS/Honda Heat), Monty Ioane (AUS/end of contract), Richard Kingi (AUS/end of contract), Juan Cruz Guillemain (ARG/Argentinian side for Super Rugby, David Lyons (AUS/end of contract), Pierre Rabadan (retired)

Toulon

Ins: Diego Dominguez (ARG/manager), Salesi Ma'afu (AUS/Northampton), Matt Stevens (ENG/Sharks), Paul O'Connell (IRL/Munster), Samu Manoa (USA/Northampton), Duane Vermeulen (RSA/Stormers), Jonathan Pelissie (Montpellier), Ma'a Nonu (NZL/Hurricanes), Mitchell Inman (AUS/Rebels), Sireli Bobo (FIJ/La Rochelle), James O'Connor (AUS/Reds), Lachie Turner (AUS/Reds).

Outs: Martin Castrogiovanni (ITA/Racing Metro), Carl Hayman (NZL/retired), Craig Burden (RSA/Montpellier), Bakkies Botha (RSA/retired), Ali Williams (NZL/retired), Chris Masoe (NZL/Racing Metro), Michael Claassens (RSA/Sharks), Juan Martin Hernandez (ARG/Argentinian side in Super Rugby), Rudi Wulf (NZL/Castres), David Smith (NZL/Castres).

Toulouse

Ins: David Mele (Leicester/ENG), Gert Muller (RSA/Bayonne), Semi Kunatani (FIJ), Tomas Leonardi (ARG/Edinburgh), Talalelei Gray (AUS/Waratahs)

Outs: Guy Noves (France/coach) Yannick Nyanga (Racing Metro), Shalk Ferreira (RSA/Eastern Province Kings), Jano Vermaak (RSA/Stormers), Chiliboy Ralepelle (RSA/end of contract)

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